The cast and crew of Aeternitas (Photo: The Distillery Film Company)

By Shaun Penner

Local Film

Local film nominated for six Rosie Awards

Mar 23, 2019 | 7:30 AM

A film produced and shot in Grande Prairie has been nominated for six Rosie Awards, which celebrate the best of filmmaking and media production in Alberta. The awards are presented by the Alberta Media Production Industries Association and are entering their 45^th year.

Aeternitas, a story of humanity’s first time-traveler, is a 16-minute short film created by The Distillery Film Company.

“It’s a really great feeling,” said Producer/Cinematographer and Owner of The Distillery Chris Beauchamp. “For us, it’s a fantastic vindication of the film community here in Grande Prairie and what we are capable of doing in our smaller, northern city. To see the film being recognized alongside the best of what is being made in Alberta is a great honour.”

The film’s nominations include:

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• Best Dramatic Short
• Best Director (Drama Under 30 Minutes) – Gordie Haakstad
• Best Screenwriter (Drama Under 30 Minutes) – Gordie Haakstad
• Best Cinematographer (Drama Under 30 Minutes) – Chris Beauchamp
• Best Production Designer/Art Director – Laura Dawn Beauchamp
• Best Overall Sound (Drama Under 30 Minutes) – Iain Pattison and Cody Flynn

The film was funded in large part from a $10,000 TELUS STORYHIVE grant, as well as local donations. Most of the cast and crew are from the Peace Region, including 12 interns and over 80 people playing a role in the making of the film. Beauchamp notes that many of the crew members came with little or no experience. He says the local film community is very welcoming and encouraging for anyone who has an interest in film and media.

“We had a screen writer who is also a stay-at home mom from Manning,” said Beauchamp. “A guy in Dawson Creek came out and became one of our interns, who had interest in making videos with his kids, and now he has gone on and made some short films since this project.”

The film is making its world premiere at the Fargo Film Festival this afternoon. The film will also be shown at the 2019 Reel Shorts Film Festival, which runs May 6-13 in Grande Prairie.

The 2019 Alberta Film and Television Awards (where the Rosie Awards will be presented) are on April 27, at the Edmonton Convention Centre.

“For each of these six nominations, each one of them represents a group of people,” said Beauchamp. “We’re just proud to be a part of that, and we think these nominations reflect the community spirit Grande Prairie has for its arts.”