2006 Film Production Years Starts off with a bang!

 

 

 

 

co-producer of Wind Chill George Clooney

 

Academy Award winning actor George Clooney and Academy Award winning director Steven Soderbergh, are behind the production company Section Eight Ltd, which produced the feature film "Wind Chill" in the Okanagan early in 2006. Ashton Holmes and Emily Blunt star as two college students sharing a ride home for the holidays when their car breaks down on a deserted stretch of highway and who are menaced by the ghosts of those who died there. The production filmed in the Okanagan for 28 days in March, 2006. The movie is due for release in 2007.

Kelowna shot movie to open Toronto Film Festival

Fido, a glossy BC made period film about a family and their domesticated zombie, was named yesterday as the opening feature in the Toronto Film Festival's Canadian First program.

Vancouver director, Andrew Currie, who turned a leafy Kelowna heritage street into an idealized 1950s setting for a month last summer to make the $10 million stylized fantasy, was at a Toronto press conference for the announcement.

"I love the fact that Toronto programmers selected Fido for that honour," Currie said by phone as he waited for a plane back home. The festival which serves as the global movie industry's rollout of fall releases, runs from September 7 to 16. Fido will get a North America-wide release later in the fall, by Lions Gate in the US and TVA in Canada.

"I can tell from the programmers that they're excited about the film, and that's a nice feeling." Said Currie. "It definitely helps the profile."

The movie stars Vancouver's Carrie-Anne Moss as a housewife whose son bonds with an undead zombie pet (played by Scottish comedian Billy Connelly). Also in the cast are Canadian actor Henry Czerny, as well as Americans Tim Blake Nelson and Dylan Baker.

Currie co-wrote Fido's script with partners Robert Chomiak and Dennis Heaton. The film is BC's biggest budget independent feature ever, a leap in scale for the indie scene.

"I believe that we're on a new wave of making films," said Currie, whose first feature was the 2001 drama Mile Zero. "We have to keep plugging away and push ourselves out there so that we make ourselves a real presence. Fido getting into Toronto is a big step."

Reprinted in part from Vancouver Province
Wednesday July 19, 2006

A & E Wildfires Movie shot in Princeton

Princeton was the sight of a movie shoot during the month of May as the Arts & Entertainment Network (A&E) used a locale off Copper Mountain Road to film parts of the movie 'Wildfire".

The movie is about the extremely hot and dry summer at Yellowstone National Park which leads to the largest forest fire in American history.

Producer Clara George says the terrain around Princeton was a perfect stand-in for the celebrated U.S. Park.

"The show is about Yellowstone Park, and geographically this the right area for us to be in" she says. "The show is also about wildfires and when we consulted with the B.C Fire Commission, they let us into areas that were previously burnt and slated for re-burn, so that we would have minimum impact on the environment".

Local residents enjoyed a brush with the movie business during the two week shoot as well. Princetonites worked in capacity of extras and security as well as working with some of the local personnel. It is a purposeful practice, explains George. "We try to encourage it as much as possible when we are on location", she says. "We utilized 120 - 140 hotel rooms. We basically took over and I am sure some people noticed. It brings business to the community and it helps the community feel included.

The movie "Wildfires" is scheduled to air the Labour Day weekend on A&E. It is being produced by Vancouver based Cypress Point Productions.

Reprinted with the permission of The Similkameen Spotlight.

Making the Cut 2: Last Man Standing returns to North Okanagan

Network Entertainment has confirmed they will be filming Season II of "Making the Cut: Last Man Standing", on July 24th in Vernon BC.

The premise of the series, has 39 drafted candidates who will compete over a two week period under the scrutiny of some of the best coaches and scouts in professional hockey. The second season differs from the original series, as there is only one winner, essentially "the last man standing", who will receive an endorsement contract, and exposure to top professional hockey scouts and managers to showcase their skills.

The hockey portion of the series, will take place at Vernon's Multiplex. The set will be closed due to the confidential nature of the series, as not to reveal the winner. However, the last filmed game on 28 July, will be open to the public, and details will be released closer to the date.

There will be 17 thirty minute episodes and 5 one-hour broadcasts that will air on the Global network in the fall of 2006.

Many of the 75 crew required for the series were recruited with the assistance of the Okanagan Film Commission. We are thrilled to have Making the Cut back for a second season, and hope that it will be a successful venture for all involved.