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Filming starts August 2021

Feature film to shoot in Drayton Valley and Brazeau County

Nov 20, 2020 | 12:38 PM

Drayton Valley and Brazeau County will be the setting for a movie that will start shooting next summer.

Edmonton-based production company A Little Late Films/Western Directives Inc. has chosen the region to shoot their tenth feature film, the sequel “Spearphishing 2.”

The action-thriller is the follow-up to “Spearphishing,” which the company filmed this past summer in and around Whitecourt, Alberta.

The film is planned to shoot from August to October 2021 in various locations around Brazeau County, including the Brazeau Dam.

More than 120 people are expected to take part in the film, with more than 90 percent from Brazeau County. Company owner and producer/director, Tim McKort says they always like to use local actors and crew whenever possible.

“We want to populate the movie with as many people from the local area as we can,” explained McKort.

The director usually holds public meet and greets with people interested in participating, but due to COVID-19, he says meetings will be done virtually.

“I’m not going to do any meet and greets. Unfortunately, we can’t do that until everything is safe again. I’ll just be meeting with people through email and through telephone, getting a feel of who’s out there and their experiences.”

The company will be advertising in local newspapers and media to get the word out about the film and hopes to have the movie fully cast and crewed by April at the latest.

McKort revealed they have scouted a number of locations to film in, including Drayton Valley’s Clean Energy Technology Centre (CETC), and once the snow melts they will continue planning the film and finding additional people to participate.

After deciding on the Brazeau County area as the backdrop for his next film, McKort says he met with representatives from the county, the Town of Drayton Valley, and the Drayton Valley and District Chamber of Commerce about a month ago and they all jumped on board with the film right away.

“Drayton Valley is totally, totally, supporting in every way, shape, and form so we’re going to shoot there.”

He says he hopes the news of the film will brighten people’s spirits, adding that he’s heard from residents who have said the area has been down since they took a hit with the oil patch decline.

“My thinking is, this is just positivity all over the place. It’s a great opportunity for people to just enjoy something just for the sake of it,” says McKort.

At their meeting on November 17, Brazeau County Council acknowledged the film’s intentions to shoot in the county next year and said there will be a “positive economic benefit” for the area. The County also pledged their support, approving a sponsorship fee of $450 for the company to film the movie.

Director McKort adds that he is actively looking for sponsorships from local businesses interested in participating.

“We are getting a lot of interest. We have four or five sponsors already. We are going to be profiling the area in a big way so it is positive.”

As far as worrying about whether COVID-19 will still be an issue nine months from now, McKort says they primarily shoot scenes outside and will have everyone in their own bubble. It worked for the cast and crew this past summer in Whitecourt while filming the first movie so they have high hopes things will work out again.

The first movie, “Spearphishing” is expected to premiere in May 2021 and McKort has released a teaser trailer.

For residents interested in being a part of the cast or crew, or for businesses interested in sponsorship, Tim McKort can be reached through email at westerndirectives@shaw.ca.

The production company’s other films can be found on their website, https://www.alittlelatefilms.ca/.