Films are not always big budget, nor do they have a cast which reads like the telephone directory in Hollywood.
Rust is one of those movies. It was shot in Kipling, SK., with townspeople in most of the roles. The budget was a quarter-of-a-million.
The film; Rust, stars Corbin Bernsen, and will be showcased as part of the Yorkton Film Festival with a screening Thursday evening at the Painted Hand Casino.
Bernsen plays the role of James Moore.
"He's a minister having a mid-life crisis of faith," explained movie producer Dana Lesiuk. "He comes back to his hometown at Christmas to find it."
At the same time he finds his childhood friend has confessed to a murder, which he begins to investigate."
The initial connection between Corbin Bernsen came about as a Kipling man began the process of trading up from a paper clip to a house.
Bernsen "heard about it when he was driving on the freeway in L.A.," said Lesiuk.
Bernsen ended up being part of the trading process, trading a role in one of his movies for a snow globe, said Lesiuk, adding Bernsen has "over 6,000 snow globes."
So Bernsen ended up visiting Kipling, and held an audition in the town.
"Five hundred people came out," said Lesiuk, adding Bernsen saw a "raw talent pool."
The initial idea was for Bernsen to have someone take a role in his movie Donna On Demand. However, Lesiuk said Bernsen said the movie was not seen as a perfect fit for the community of only 500 people and "seven churches in it," adding "the first sentence in the film had swearing in it."
So Bernsen set out "to make a movie centered around Kipling, its location and its people," said Lesiuk.
Bernsen's next work; Three Day Pest "was too much for what the town could handle," but then Kipling Mayor Pat Jackson kept working with Bernsen sweetening the pot of the Hollywood star.
"He (the Mayor) said if you're serious you can make a movie with us, we can help you raise money," said Lesiuk.
That was when they approached Lesiuk in Regina to produce the movie.
"I thought no way," she said, after hearing the town had come up with only $250,000 to do the production. "There was no way to shoot that kind of movie for that kind of money."
However, Lesiuk gave it some thought, and decided she was "resourceful enough," to make it work. She said a key was the community.
"The town was willing to pitch in with locations and just about anything," she said. "I saw a way we could do it, but it's definitely was not the easiest way to make a movie."
And, Saskatchewan weather threw the production a curveball right off the bat in February 2005. With a limited budget necessitating only a 14-day shoot Lesiuk noted "we went into production on the day of the biggest snowfall Kipling had seen. Some crew ended up in the ditch on the way there, and Corbin got stuck at the airport.
"We had only 14-days and missed part of the first day."
In spite of the start to production, and the rushed filming, Lesiuk said Bernsen enjoyed starring in the movie.
"He said it was one of his best experiences ever," said Lesiuk. She added he saw the filming "as the most professional and successful of his career
"Corbin fell in love with the town. I fell in love with the town."
The key was the community and how everyone had chipped in to make the film work.
"That's why I took on the project as well," said Lesiuk, adding the film is really the townspeople's movie.
"The people in Kipling are starring in it, not just background roles."
Lesiuk pointed to Lloyd Warner as an example. Mentally challenged "he just stole the show. We're so proud of his performance."
Lesiuk noted, "that's just such a hook.
"I knew people would be anxious to see how it turned out."
Once people see it, Lesiuk said they "are surprised it's such a good movie." She said you can't see the limited budget, or the use of local actors. You just see a movie."
Lesiuk said for her Rust holds a special place too.
"It's the only one that I've ever gotten emotional about," she said, noting as Bernsen gave a little speech on the last day of shooting about it being "the greatest experience of his career," she actually "welled-up
"I still feel so close to this town and the people there."
Lesiuk said the film created something of a buzz because of how it got into production, and that has helped in terms of interest.
"It generated a lot of publicity, and that's making sure it has legs," she said.
Being a Christian story Lesiuk said they see a good market in the United States. "It's going to have a good life down there
"It's been well-received. People get into it because of the background, but keep viewing it to see how it turns out It's because of the mystery and suspense they follow it through."
