By Sheldon Spackman

All-Alberta Cast And Crew

Local film “The Diner” picking up awards on festival circuit

Apr 5, 2021 | 11:04 AM

A locally made film garnering numerous accolades on the North American film festival circuit will soon be on the silver screen for central Alberta audiences to enjoy.

Described as a feel good romance, The Diner is a short film about first dates and lifelong love, offering movie goers a bit of hope and nostalgia.

Directed by Randy Kirk, The Diner is set in both present day and late 1950s.

“It is about an older couple that goes for a long drive in their hot rod 55 Bel Air to the place where they first met, The Diner,” explains Kirk.

“When they get to the diner, they notice how much things have changed. The husband says it’s ‘only changed on the outside.’ She follows her husband into the diner and magic happens.”

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Don Tjart and Rhoda Parnell. Exterior shot at Queen’s Diner. (Supplied)

Kirk says he developed the story along with Linda Pidhirney.

“We wanted to make a feel good story,” shares Kirk. “2020 was a, not so feel good year, and we wanted a love story that was relatable and had a message of hope.”

Morgan LeBlanc and Rachel Stillings between takes at Mom’s Diner. (Supplied)

Kirk says The Diner was filmed in Red Deer over two days last September.

“We were looking for locations and had been to Mom’s Diner in West Park before, so it was a natural setting that was period correct. The owners at Mom’s Diner welcomed us and were amazing to work with. The exterior shots were done at Queen’s Diner and they were also easy to deal with and very supportive.”

Parking lot at Queen’s Diner. (Supplied)

“We had an all-Alberta crew with our cast from Longview, Calgary, Red Deer and Edmonton. Our Red Deer cast includes Don Tjart and Rachel Stillings.”

Kirk admits the COVID-19 pandemic added some time and expenses to the project, but they still got the movie out in time for the festival circuit in January.

He says the most rewarding part has been seeing the film’s cast and crew be rewarded for their hard work.

“The film won Best Short at the Emerging Artists Film Festival and our actress from Red Deer, Rachel Stillings, has won Best Actress at the Vegas Movie Awards and at the Phoenix Shorts Film Festival,” notes Kirk. “And she also shared another acting award with her co-star, Morgan LeBlanc (from Edmonton) at the Vegas Movie Awards with a Best Acting Duo award. The film has also been accepted into two New York festivals, San Francisco, Austin, and Niagara Falls film festivals so far.”

Directed and funded mostly by Kirk, The Diner also received help from local Red Deer Filmmakers, Ranjit Mullakady and Rueben Tschetter.

“There are talented, hardworking, and passionate film makers right here, and we need all the help we can get,.”

The Diner will have a special screening at CAFF (Central Alberta Film Festival), in Red Deer in October.