REGINA - All of the efforts put into the production of film and TV projects in Saskatchewan in the past year will be coming soon to a screen near you.
On Wednesday, Sept. 27, Creative Saskatchewan and the Government of Saskatchewan held a sneak preview event at Kramer IMAX Theatre in Regina, to show trailers featuring nine of the productions funded in the past two years by the new Creative Saskatchewan Feature Film and Television Production Grant Program
These productions are now complete and will be available on TV, on the movie screen and on web based platforms, with Saskatchewan people and scenery playing a prominent role in the finished product.
The nine productions highlighted at the sneak preview included the following:
The Heritage Minute for Mary ‘Bonnie’ Baker, part of the series of iconic Heritage Minutes seen on Canadian television since 1991.
Die Alone, a post-apocalyptic thriller directed by Saskatchewan’s Lowell Dean, which includes stars Carrie-Anne Moss and Frank Grillo and was shot in Regina.
A Cowboy Christmas, a Christmas movie from Trilight Entertainment filmed in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan.
Alone season 10 airing on the History Channel and worldwide, features 10 survivalists who are dropped off in undisclosed, remote locations in northern Saskatchewan.
Guardians of the North airing on Citytv, showcases the efforts of firefighters in northern Saskatchewan.
Flat Out Foods, from Regina’s HalterMedia, is a docuseries all about food.
Why Am I? airing on Citytv, is an animated series aimed at ages 3 to 6.
Zarqa, the web comedy series starring Zarqa Nawaz which was shot in Regina, begins Season Two on CBC Gem.
Treaty Road, airing on APTN, is a six part historical series focusing on the signings of the numbered Treaties.
It was also a chance to showcase what Creative Saskatchewan has been able to accomplish now that their grant funding has been boosted to $12 million in the provincial budget.
These nine productions together received $4.5 million in Creative Saskatchewan funding and are just a portion of the 34 productions that have been funded. According to Creative Saskatchewan, the funding resulted in an estimated 100 jobs, and these shows generated an estimated $21 million in positive economic impact for the Saskatchewan economy.
Production for some of the shows happened in various locations, with filming taking place in Regina for Die Alone and Zarqa, and up north for Guardians of the North and Alone.
One of the more unique locations was the community of Ogema, population 403, which hosted production for the Heritage Minute of Mary ‘Bonnie’ Baker of Regina, who played in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League. That is the same league popularized in the movie A League of Their Own.
“This is the first minute that we have done on a Saskatchewan subject and it is also the first minute that we’ve shot in Saskatchewan and we came in with high expectations,” said Anthony Wilson-Smith, President and CEO of Historica Canada.
The story was about a woman who “in the best of ways just wasn’t having it. People were saying women can’t play sports or girls, they say, can’t play sports. She wasn’t going to hear that. She wasn’t going to be held back. And that was the element that caught us, it was emblematic of what women had to go through.”
The Heritage Minute includes a scene in which Baker appeared on the TV series What’s My Line?, and that actually did happen. The atmosphere towards women at the time — with one character shown making remarks — was also depicted. That was the point, Wilson-Smith said: to show what women had to go through in those days and how hard it was to get ahead.
“We don’t do minutes based on a true story, we do the true story,” said Wilson-Smith.
Filming took place over two days in June and the entire community in Ogema got involved. Wilson-Smith said Ogema residents took part as extras and in providing sandwiches and coffee to the crew.
Wilson-Smith called it one of the “most pleasant minutes we’ve ever done for the quality of work and receptivity with working with government, and also the reception we received in Ogema where we actually shot the minute. The outcome is one we’re happiest with, and that’s because of the extraordinary professionalism we saw.”
That is just one of the exciting Saskatchewan productions that will pop up on television screens this fall and on various online platforms.
“It’s been really exciting to see what’s been possible since the government increase their investment into film and television production and we got to see a little bit of that today with these trailers,” Creative Saskatchewan CEO Erin Dean said.
“I think today shows that we just have a tremendous diversity of storytellers here in the province. We have feature films, animated, with reality TV, things that really appeal to a broad range. So these stories aren’t meant to live within our borders, they’ll travel and people all over the world will get to enjoy them.”
Dean said their focus is on continuing to grow the film and TV industry in the province and train crew and attract high quality productions to the province.
The indication is that while there have been some delays with some productions pushed back, disruption has otherwise been kept to a minimum from the Writers Guild and Screen Actors strikes that ravaged the film and TV industry in North America. Many Saskatchewan productions were able to get wrapped up before the impact was felt.
“We got through this period of industry disruption,” said Dean. “Some of the strikes are looking like they’re coming to a close. One of the benefits of the way we invested was it was diversified, so we always had production going in Saskatchewan.”
“It was awesome,” Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Laura Ross said of the productions shown that day. “And I think each and every one of the producers and directors that were here today really got to see their productions on the big screen. And that’s pretty exciting also for them. But you know we have such an incredible array of talent… Man, we’ve got some incredible talent, and we get to showcase the beauty of this province. This is a slice of paradise that we really want to share with the world.”
What stood out for Ross was the stunning visuals for homegrown productions showcasing the province such as for Guardians of the North, which followed ordinary Saskatchewan firefighters in action against northern wildfires.
“You realize that what they were showing where people going into the thick of the fires, they were going in and doing the best they can. And that’s when your heart stops and you go ‘oh my God.’ These people, they take their job seriously, they know they want to be safe, but they know they have a real job to do and it’s protecting our North, protecting the people in the North, and we have to be so proud of them and I’m really so pleased with the work that the industry has done to be able to portray that, to be able to share what is happening in the North.”
She also pointed to the high production values for such productions as the docuseries Flat Out Foods.
“When you saw the production value of the food being put on a plate… This was real. The visuals were so incredible. I think each and every one of us was probably licking our lips and thinking I want that on my table this evening. It was incredible to see. And you know, when you see our talent being showcased like that, it really makes you proud to be from Saskatchewan.”
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