Megan Folden

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Regina, Saskatchewan
July 19, 2023

Minds Eye Entertainment Announces Principal Photography has begun on DIE ALONE in Saskatchewan

REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN (JUNE 19, 2023) – Minds Eye Entertainment announced today that principal photography has begun on the film DIE ALONE in Saskatchewan, which stars Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix franchise, Memento), Douglas Smith (Don’t Worry Darling; “Big Little Lies”) and Frank Grillo (Captain America and Purge franchises, Kingdom, Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard). Rounding out the cast is Kimberly-Sue Murray (V Wars, Trader), Jonathan Cherry (The Novice, Goon), Amy Matysio (WolfCop, Cosmic Dawn), Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat (“Shoresy”, Prey). The film is written and directed by Saskatchewan’s own Lowell Dean (WolfCop).

Set in the future when society collapses following a catastrophic illness, Ethan (Douglas Smith), a young man with amnesia, bands together with Mae (Carrie-Anne Moss), a rugged survivalist. Under siege from the creatures created by the outbreak, Ethan must use Mae’s survival skills to find his missing girlfriend before a fateful encounter with Kai (Frank Grillo) unravels a secret.

DIE ALONE is produced by Kevin DeWalt, Danielle Masters, and Benjamin DeWalt, of Regina based Minds Eye Entertainment. Filmoption International holds the distribution rights in Canada, and will release the film in theatres in 2024.

The film is produced with the participation of Telefilm Canada. Production is made possible through the Creative Saskatchewan Feature Film & Television Production Grant Program, the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, and the Saskatchewan Media Production Industry Association (SMPIA) Work Experience Training Program.

“We’re so pleased to see the next generation of filmmakers receiving the opportunity to work on this production,” says Ken Alecxe, Executive Director of SMPIA, “this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!”

“This film is a passion project for everyone involved and Minds Eye is thrilled to film it in our home province of Saskatchewan,” said Producer Kevin DeWalt.

“Folks might not realize that a production of this caliber has such a huge return on investment to the province,” says Erin Dean, CEO of Creative Saskatchewan, “this show has an impressive Saskatchewan spend and they are utilizing a lot of local labour. We’re expecting to see a return of over $9.8 million, and all of that stays here!”

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About Minds Eye Entertainment
With four decades of production in Saskatchewan, Minds Eye has produced over 60 film and television series and spearheaded the development of a regional production company into the internationally recognized, vertically integrated organization with subsidiaries in production and distribution. The company has produced projects that have sold to over 200 territories around the world. Select feature film credits include: THE RECALL starring Wesley Snipes, THE HUMANITY BUREAU starring Nicolas Cage, DAUGHTER OF THE WOLF starring Gina Carano, Richard Dreyfuss, A SCORE TO SETTLE starring Nicolas Cage, Benjamin Bratt, and DANGEROUS starring Scott Eastwood and Mel Gibson. For more information about Minds Eye Entertainment, please visit: www.mindseyepictures.com

About Creative Saskatchewan
Creative Saskatchewan is the economic development agency for Saskatchewan’s creative industries. Creative Saskatchewan unlocks the potential of the creative industries and fuels the economic engine of homegrown talent, converting creativity into cashflow. The agency’s investments propel creative entrepreneurs as they create, perform, innovate, and export in their pursuit of commercial success.

For more information or to provide commentary, please contact:
Danielle Masters, Producer, Die Alone Productions Inc.
C: (306) 596-0465 | danielle@mindseyepictures.com
Megan Jane, Manager of Marketing and Communications, Creative Saskatchewan
O: (306) 798-2191 | C: (306) 529-7377 | megan.jane@creativesask.ca | creativesask.ca

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Regina, Saskatchewan
June 8,2023

New Heritage Minute to be filmed in Ogema, SK

This upcoming Heritage Minute will tell the story of Mary “Bonnie” Baker, a professional baseball player from Regina, Saskatchewan. Baker was a catcher and utility infielder in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) for nine seasons. She was one of 68 Canadian women who played in the league. In 1950, she also served as the only regular female manager in the league’s 12-year history. She was known as a feisty character on the diamond and a vivacious personality off it.

Principal filming is set for June 8 and 9, 2023 in Ogema, Saskatchewan. Ogema is the hometown of former AAGPBL player Arleene (Johnson) Noga. The town’s historic grandstand is dedicated in her name and will serve as the principal location for the AAGPBL scenes.

The production welcomes Ogema residents to be on location during the shoot days. There is an opportunity to appear as extras in the Minute and residents would need to be wearing plain clothes without logos, patterns, or branding if they are interested in doing so. In some cases, the production may be able to provide appropriate clothing until supplies last.

“Saskatchewan has a long and impressive history of producing some of Canada’s best athletes in a variety of sports,” said Anthony Wilson-Smith, President and CEO of Historica Canada. “We’re delighted to be working with our partners at Danny Rockett Productions and Barbershop Films to tell the story of one of them – and to be doing it in a location with such a rich history of its own.”

This Heritage Minute was written by Joleen Ballendine with producer Brent Kawchuk, along with director of photography Kristin Fieldhouse, and director Anita Ayres. Mary “Bonnie” Baker will be played by a renowned Canadian actor whose name will be officially announced at a later stage in production.

This Heritage Minute is being produced by Historica Canada and Danny Rockett Productions and Barbershop Films, a Saskatchewan production company, with funding support from Creative Saskatchewan and in-kind equipment support from William F. White International.

“We’re thrilled to be able to support this Heritage Minute, showcasing Baker’s incredible leadership journey in Saskatchewan sports history.” says Erin Dean, CEO of Creative Saskatchewan, “Our investment of just over $80,000 is expected to deliver a positive economic return to the tune of more than $380,000 for Saskatchewan. It’s truly a win-win for our province.”

The Mary “Bonnie” Baker Heritage Minute was made possible through funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage. Historica Canada is a charitable organization that offers programs in both official languages that you can use to explore, learn, reflect on our history, and consider what it means to be Canadian. The Heritage Minutes collection is a bilingual Canadian series comprised of 60-second short films, each depicting a significant person, event or story in Canadian history.

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For more information or to provide commentary, please contact:

Emilie Bourdages-Bittle
Communications Coordinator
communications@historicacanada.ca
(437) 290-9275

Megan Jane
Manager of Marketing and Communications
megan.jane@creativesask.ca
O: (306) 798-2191
C: (306) 529-7377

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Regina, Saskatchewan
June 7, 2023

Northern Saskatchewan chosen location for Season 10 of The HISTORY® Channel’s hit TV series Alone

View season 10 tease here.

Wavelength Entertainment, an award-winning full-service international media production company, in collaboration with ITV and Creative Saskatchewan, are pleased to announce that season 10 of The HISTORY® Channel’s popular nonfiction survival series Alone will take place in Northern Saskatchewan. Alone premieres on The HISTORY® Channel in Canada on June 8, 2023 from 10:00 pm to 11:30 pm EST, and in the US on June 8, 2023, from 9:00 pm – 10:30 pm EST.

Alone features 10 survivalists who are dropped off in undisclosed, remote locations and equipped with just 10 survival tools, and enough camera gear to self-document their experiences. The survivalist who endures the longest, facing total isolation, punishing weather, and deadly predators, will win the $500,000 grand prize. No camera crews. No gimmicks. Alone is the ultimate test of human will.

This season, 10 contestants fight to survive in the Northern Saskatchewan wilderness. Welcomed by the Woodland Cree First Nation, Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, and the governing bodies of Saskatchewan, shooting Alone along Reindeer Lake landed the newest participants in an extremely rugged and remote location among approximately 43,000 black bears, a strong wolf and moose population, and some of the largest fish ever caught on the show. The Arctic winds and the waves they produced along with cold and snow of a true Saskatchewan winter put the grit of the participants to the test.

Previous seasons of Alone have been filmed across a range of remote locations, usually on Indigenous-controlled lands, including northern Vancouver Island, Chilko Lake in interior British Columbia, Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories as well as Patagonia in Argentina and Northern Mongolia.

“Wavelength Entertainment is thrilled to be in partnership with Leftfield Pictures/ITV America on a series as popular as ‘Alone’. It was a beautiful collaboration that will inevitably lead to other opportunities for our company and the Province. ‘Alone’ has captivated millions of viewers around the world since its debut season in 2015 and it was a pleasure to help bring it to Saskatchewan,” says Jeff Stecyk, Principal/Executive Producer for Wavelength Entertainment.

Season 10 of Alone was a recipient of Creative Saskatchewan’s Feature Film and TV Production Grant program, with the agency committing $818,534 to the production. “This investment is expected to see an estimated $4.3 million of positive economic outputs back into Saskatchewan.” says Erin Dean, CEO of Creative Saskatchewan, “We invest in productions with a market trigger and solid business and marketing strategies in place that create significant ripple effects for Saskatchewan people. The team at Wavelength have done exactly that, and we can’t wait to watch the first episode!” Alone has a Saskatchewan spend of over $2.3 million, mainly in the northern region.

A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights for both the series and the format for Alone.

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About Wavelength Entertainment
Wavelength Entertainment is a full-service production / distribution company with offices located throughout Canada. Wavelength is dedicated to the creation of smart, imaginative and entertaining content for global audiences. The Emmy award winning team has worked together for over 20 years on programming that has been seen in 150 countries, 30 languages and hundreds of channels / platforms including Netflix, Amazon, Discovery +, CBC, Rogers, History, Smithsonian, ID, HBO, TLC and A&E.

About Creative Saskatchewan
Creative Saskatchewan is the economic development agency for Saskatchewan’s creative industries. Creative Saskatchewan unlocks the potential of the creative industries and fuels the economic engine of homegrown talent, converting creativity into cashflow. The agency’s investments propel creative entrepreneurs as they create, perform, innovate, and export in their pursuit of commercial success.

For more information or to provide commentary, please contact:
Jeff Stecyk, Principal/Executive Producer, Wavelength Entertainment
C: (604) 506-7646 | jeff@wavelength-entertainment.com | wavelength-entertainment.com
Megan Jane, Manager of Marketing and Communications, Creative Saskatchewan
O: (306) 798-2191 | C: (306) 529-7377 | megan.jane@creativesask.ca | creativesask.ca

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Regina, Saskatchewan
May 6, 2023

Six Saskatchewan Producers Greenlit for Market Accelerator Program

Saskatchewan’s official film commission, Creative Saskatchewan, has partnered with one of Canada’s largest film festivals in Whistler, BC to build an intensive, multi-phased project development and business mentorship program for independent Saskatchewan producers developing projects with strong market potential. Today, the industry celebrates the successful six selected from the shortlist.

“When we opened applications for the program, there was strong interest from both up-and-coming and established local producers,” says Remi Dufour, Director of Film Finance and Economic Reporting, Creative Saskatchewan. “We were elated to see the level of talent put forward. We are very proud of the participants who are about to embark on a journey with unparalleled access to high-level industry experts from across Canada, including senior producers, distributors, broadcasters, financiers, and key decision-makers.”

Over the course of eight months, the below producers will work closely with key media industry advisors and mentors in individual, group, and market-oriented development sessions. The producers will expand on their creative and business skills, and receive project-specific feedback to strengthen their ability to position their project for investment in the lead-up to the Whistler Film Festival (WFF).

Chris Miller (Regina, SK) – RAT RIVER (Feature thriller)
Based on a true story, “Rat River” follows the desperate manhunt of a police-killer across the inhospitable desolation of Northwest Territories during the winter of 1932.

Kaitlyn Van De Woestyne (Regina, SK) – ON THE EDGE (Documentary)
In the face of rising sea levels, melting permafrost, and powerful storms, the Inuvialuit community of Tuktoyaktuk is disappearing into the ocean. Deva-Lynn Pokiak, an Inuk mother, works alongside a team of Southern researchers to document and map the erosion, racing to find solutions and preserve what hasn’t already been lost.

Moniquea Marion (Saskatoon, SK) – FUEL UP (Unscripted)
Fuel Up is an original factual travel series that showcases travel in a whole new light. Host, Moniquea Marion, travels by motorcycle to take viewers on an incredible journey of food, adventure, culture, and the most sought after motorcycle routes around the world.

Natasha Bigeau (Regina, SK) – SHESTRONG (Documentary)
Once strangers separated by thousands of miles, breast cancer survivors Brandy and Laura forge an online connection through a number of parallels; their diagnosis, family situations, and athletic pursuits. Now integral supports to one another, they have set their sights on the Ironman Triathlon finish line.

Shawn Cuthand (Saskatoon, SK) – PRIVATE GIG (Feature horror)
In the open prairie, no one can hear you scream.

Style Dayne Stenberg (Regina, SK) – STAFFED (Comedy Series)
A dramatic fall from grace brings Jacob, a big shot Ottawa political staffer, to the small idyllic town of Konlin Lake, SK, where he is thrown into the tumultuous and absurd world of municipal politics while navigating the antics of local stakeholders.

The mentors and facilitators for the Saskatchewan Market Accelerator are WFF Producer-in-Residence & Program Facilitator Brendon Sawatzky (MB) and WFF Talent Programs Manager, Shelly Quade (MB).

Leading up to the WFF and Content Summit, the producers will participate in a pitching workshop and may apply to participate in the Power Pitch Competition and pitch their project to some of the world’s top sales agents for motion pictures and compete for a prize package worth over $36,000.

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About Creative Saskatchewan

Creative Saskatchewan is the economic development agency for Saskatchewan’s creative industries. Creative Saskatchewan unlocks the potential of the creative industries and fuels the economic engine of homegrown talent, converting creativity into cashflow. The agency’s investments propel creative entrepreneurs as they create, perform, innovate, and export in their pursuit of commercial success.

About Whistler Film Festival

The Whistler Film Festival Society is a charitable, cultural organization dedicated to furthering the art and business of film by providing programs that focus on the discovery, development, and promotion of new talent culminating in the highly respected Whistler Film Festival and Content Summit each December. In all its programs, WFF strives for gender parity, inclusivity, and diversity. The Whistler Film Festival Society is situated on the shared unceded territory of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and Lil̓wat7úl (Lil’wat) Nations.

For more information or to provide commentary, please contact:

Brendon Sawatzky, Producer in Residence, Whistler Film Festival Society
C: (204) 230-5589 | industry@whistlerfilmfestival.com | whistlerfilmfestival.com

Megan Jane, Manager of Marketing and Communications, Creative Saskatchewan
O: (306) 798-2191 | C: (306) 529-7377 | megan.jane@creativesask.ca | creativesask.ca