The Okanagan Region will be home to a major Canadian REALITY TV SERIES this fall and winter
On Thursday October 19th , 2006 "X-Weighted" will begin filming in Kelowna, BC. X Weighted is a series of 13, one hour documentaries that follow ordinary people in their struggle to become fit. Carrying between 40 and 150 pounds each, they run.climb and dance their way to healthier weights over a six month period. X-Weighted includes guidance served up by experts in fitness, nutrition and life management. Fitness Expert Paul Plakas advises on exercise and nutrition to all the participants. And self esteem expert Fred Connors provides self-confidence support and image tips.
Created by Anaid Productions, X-Weighted is in it's highly anticipated second season, and was one of the highest rated series for Life Network last season.
Five people have been cast form the Kelowna area and will be followed by the X Weighted cameras for 6 months. X weighted airs nationally on Life Network at 6:00pm PST. This is the second reality television series (along with Making the Cut 2: Last Man Standing) that has committed to film multiple episodes here in the region. We welcome the "reality"!
For further information please refer to www.anaid.com or http://www.lifenetwork.ca/microsites/xweighted/
Currie crafts crowd pleasing zombie flick
Director Andrew Currie and Okanagan Film Commissioner Sara Shaak at the Vancouver International Film Festival Screening of "Fido", 01 October, 2006.
Move over Lassie and Old Yeller. Fido, a darkly comical zombie flick, is ready to rip the hearts out of moviegoers. The movie opened this years Canada First! program at the Toronto International Film Festival and also had a screening at the Vancouver International Film Festival. "This is unlike any zombie film you have ever seen before," says Steve Gravestock, associate director of Canadian programming for TIFF. We saw well over 200 features, but this was an easy choice for the opening film. It's unique, mixing several genres - historical, satirical, invoking the feel of a suburban 1950's fairy tale. It's smart and reflects what's going on in the world today. "Fido" was created by director and co-writer Andrew Currie of Vancouver's Anagram Pictures, who has nurtured Fido for more than 10 years. The film is set in Willard, a Norman Rockwell kind of small town frozen in happy faux-Technicolor. And the story is your classic boy-and-his-dog-tale, except the dog is a six foot tall, man eating zombie played by Scottish comedian Billy Connolly. "It's not a horror film", Currie emphasizes. "It's similar to Edward Scissorhands. It works on many levels - it's based on a world of social and political regimes that use fear to control the masses. It's a vicious social satire, but it's also about the human heart - what it means to be alive in the world." With an 11 million dollar budget, it is the biggest indie Canuck flick ever produced in Western Canada. All of the filming was shot in Kelowna, Vernon and Armstrong, BC. Some of the key locations in the film are Maple Street in Kelowna, Polson Park in Vernon and the elementary school in Armstrong. Unlike many emerging filmmakers, Currie will not focusing on hunting down sales for his film. With distribution in the U.S and many foreign territories already in the bag, he is most excited to see how the audience reacts. Okanagan residents can catch a first glimpse of the move when it opens national wide in Spring of 2007. The Okanagan Film Commission is working to encourage other independent Canadian films to shoot on location in the valley. Fido producers are strategizing with the Okanagan Film Commission to finalize some marketing plans to maximize the potential of the area for future projects of similar scale, using Fido as a case study.
Crew Mixer 2006!
On Tuesday 12 September, the Okanagan Film Commission held its first ever "Crew Mixer". The event was attended by 50 locals who work in film across the region, as well as representatives from the staff and board of directors of Okanagan Film Commission. The event was held at the Rooftop Patio at the Best Western Kelowna, and a good time was had by all. Future events will be planned, most likely for early 2007.
Film Studio Infrastructure Development Study on the go...
Many industry professionals have provided anecdotes about the great potential of the Okanagan to grow within the BC's production industry. The Okanagan region is now considered a "go to" location for producers, which is certainly encouraging news for the Okanagan Film Commission and its economic development partners to hear. A qualified study assessing the real potential for this growth is now necessary, to attempt to look at the real opportunities within the region, starting with the potential opportunity of infrastructure development via a film studio and related facilities. The Okanagan Film Commission in cooperation with the Economic Development Commission of the Central Okanagan is currently working on a valley wide study that assesses the viability of the development of a dedicated film studio for use of the film and television industry. The study will provide a market analysis of the British Columbia production sector, and assess the Okanagan region's current position within this market sector. It will look at trends, opportunities and threats and strengths and weakness of the Okanagan region as a destination of choice for studio production. It has been said that the future of the film industry in the region will depend on "infrastructure development". Specific areas of infrastructure to consider include: available and potential labour pool, industry related business services, availability of technical equipment and the need for studio space. Industry participants from within the region and beyond have now been interviewed and we are awaiting the first draft of the report for consideration. The final report will be available late fall 2006. If you would like a copy of the report upon its completion, please contact the Okanagan Film Commission by email to info@okanaganfilm.com
Images Wanted
If you have images that you would like to share with the film commission, we are always looking for the following:
Please submit your images to locations@okanaganfilm.com
We need these images to promote film so send us your best shots!