(Photo: Dreamstime.com)

By Dwayne McLaughlin

$20,000 each

Three Red Deer filmmakers land funding from Telus Storyhive

Jan 26, 2021 | 4:56 PM

Three Red Deer filmmakers have each been awarded $20,000 in production funding from Telus Storyhive’s Local Heroes Documentary Edition, which focuses on capturing stories of everyday but truly essential heroes and bringing them to an audience of over one million viewers across Western Canada.

Storyhive’s 19th edition aims to highlight remarkable people making positive contributions to their local communities by sharing how Canadian neighbourhoods adapt, change and strengthen connections in the face of distance and difficulty.

Creator Adam Jasper is taking viewers into the life of Jan Underwood, an industrious, heart-driven Red Deer resident who has helped ease the transition of grief-stricken refugees to a new beginning in Central Alberta through Central Alberta Refugee Effort (C.A.R.E).

“A Refugee’s Refuge – C.A.R.E” follows Jan as she navigates her own grief after the passing of her husband of 42 years, Peter, while she continues to support refugees through their own.

Director and possibly part-time detective Linda Pidhirney are producing “Anonymous Heroes,” a documentary turned mystery that follows residents across Central Alberta as they share their experiences falling to unfortunate and desperate circumstances.

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In the midst of intense struggles, these residents encounter help from an anonymous hero that is a stranger to these residents. Linda dives into the stories of these Red Deer residents as they explain how this stranger brought them new hope.

Writer Jessica Swainson is making her film debut with “Jason and Me,” a documentary about a friend everyone should have, Jason.

Jason is a Red Deer resident who will see a need and connect people to fill that need. When Jessica was first writing her book and looking for a publisher, Jason dropped everything to help her find success. Whether it be a project, vision or even a door opened, Jason brings a smile to everyone’s face that he meets. A true definition of a local hero.

These are just three of 40 projects selected out of 171 applications to receive not only $20,000 in funding, but also mentorship, customized career training and distribution from Telus Storyhive.