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Megan Folden

Celebrating Saskatchewan’s Film Industry: 13 More Productions Unveiled, Government Investment for Kramer Imax Theatre Announced

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Released on September 9, 2024

Staying Wild production crew
Staying Wild production crew

Today, Creative Saskatchewan and the Government of Saskatchewan hosted a screening event at the Kramer IMAX Theater in Regina to preview trailers and behind-the-scenes clips from 13 productions recently filmed in the province.

The showreel featured films from the 2023-24 fiscal year which are either released and available for viewing or in the final stages before release.

“Our government is proud to invest $12 million annually to support productions like these, filmed in locations throughout our province, in urban centres as large as Saskatoon to smaller rural communities such as Prud’Homme,” Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Laura Ross said. “The industry is growing in Saskatchewan, and the films screened today demonstrate both the variety of productions and the versatility of our province as a filming destination.”

Since April 2023, approximately $22 million has been committed to 36 productions through the Creative Saskatchewan Feature Film and Television Production Grant. These productions are estimated to produce a Saskatchewan spend of over $55 million generating an approximate economic output of $93 million and support more than 900 jobs.

“Creative Saskatchewan supports a wide range of project sizes, from modest budgets to multi-million-dollar productions, including animation, documentaries and feature films” Creative Saskatchewan CEO Erin Dean said. “All of these projects have utilized our Feature Film and TV Production Grant, which incentivizes spending within Saskatchewan, and is only possible thanks to the investment from the Government of Saskatchewan.”

As part of the event, the province announced it is investing $500,000 to assist the Saskatchewan Science Centre with the purchase of the IMAX GT dual laser digital projection system. This new digital laser projection system will allow the Science Centre to continue to offer high-quality IMAX and giant screen educational documentary films well into the future, as well as full-length feature films, enhancing visitors’ viewing experiences and allowing the Science Centre to continue its role as a major community attraction and cementing its position as one of the few giant screen theatres in Canada.

In addition, Creative Saskatchewan will have access to the Kramer IMAX Theatre and the projection system to host production screenings.

Featured productions and where to watch them:

Why Am I – Citytv | Watch Full TV Episodes Online & See TV Schedule

Staying Wild – Citytv | Watch Full TV Episodes Online & See TV Schedule

Flat Out Food – Citytv | Watch Full TV Episodes Online & See TV Schedule

Guardians of the North – Citytv | Watch Full TV Episodes Online & See TV Schedule

Red River Gold – Coming soon to APTN!

Chums Citytv | Watch Full TV Episodes Online & See TV Schedule

Welcome to Kittytown – Saskatchewan movie theatres

Sideways – Coming soon!

Treaty Road | APTN

Stories of the North – Citytv | Watch Full TV Episodes Online & See TV Schedule

For Country: First In Last Out – Coming soon!

Gifts of Christmas – Coming soon!

We Kill Them All – Coming soon!

About Creative Saskatchewan

Creative Saskatchewan is the economic development agency for Saskatchewan’s creative industries and the official film commission for the province. The agency’s investments propel creative entrepreneurs as they create, perform, innovate and export in their pursuit of commercial success.

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For more information, contact:

Jamie Gibson
Parks, Culture and Sport
Regina
Phone: 306-527-8152
Email: jamie.gibson2@gov.sk.ca

Megan Folden
Creative Saskatchewan
Regina
Phone: 306-529-7377
Email: megan.folden@creativesask.ca

Theatre in the Park Visits More Communities Than Ever With Tour Support Grant

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Mackenzie Dawson was a successful grant recipient of our Tour Support Grant for his project: Theatre in the Park 2023 Provincial Tour.

Mackenzie Dawson and Sum Theatre take a different approach to being paid for their work.

Mackenzie Dawson
Mackenzie Dawson

For over a decade, Sum Theatre has created and produced Theatre in the Park. Instead of charging for admission through tickets, though, the team works closely with community associations, municipalities, and businesses to earn revenue through show sponsorships. For many audience members, especially children, Theatre in the Park is their first experience with theatre.

“Our show is our product, but instead of selling it to individuals we sell it to our sponsors and partners,” Dawson says. “Sponsorship income and partner presentation fees cover the expenses of the show and give us unrestricted revenue we can use to grow other aspects of our business.”

Prior to setting out on tour, Sum Theatre meets with every community association and municipality in which they’d like to host a show. The staff meets with potential local business and corporate sponsors seeking the unique opportunity to serve their community and sponsor a show. Then, through posters, flyers, social media, and media relations, Sum Theatre secures a large audience for each show.

With the help of a Creative Saskatchewan Tour Support Grant, Dawson and Sum Theatre connect with 38 communities province-wide, including Northern Saskatchewan.

Sum Theatre travelled to more communities than ever in 2023. In doing so, they made professional live theatre free and accessible to the people of Saskatchewan, regardless of age, culture, or socio-economic status, while also bringing in revenue and growing their business.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to inspire audiences of all ages,” says Dawson.

Digital Game Development Grant Recipient Secures 3 Million Players

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Jordan Schidlowsky received a Digital Game Development Grant for Winter Pixel Games‘ Rocket Bot Royale.

Winter Pixel Games had high hopes for their new game, Rocket Bot Royale, when they applied for a Digital Game Development Grant in 2021. It’s safe to say CEO Jordan Schidlowsky and his team are happy with the results – Over three million people have since played the game and Rocket Bot Royale now has its own community on Discord, the hit group chat platform, with about 50,000 members.

Rocket Bot RoyaleRocket Bot Royale is an online multiplayer game that can be found on Steam, Apple, Google, and web platforms. The game, which is wildly popular with kids, has received incredible reviews across the board and was even featured by premiere gaming content creators, OTK, during their OTK Games Expo in 2022. Rocket Bot Royale was a major part of the Expo as the game was talked about and played during the live stream, essentially acting as a free commercial seen by thousands.

Rocket Bot Royale is a huge commercial success that was made possible by the Digital Game Development Grant from Creative Saskatchewan. Receiving the grant helped fund the game’s development and allowed Winter Pixel Games to keep all work in-house. Everyone who worked on the project lives and works in Saskatchewan.

As the game remains popular and continues to bring in revenue over two years after its launch, Saskatchewan continues to benefit. Digital game development is a unique industry where most of the revenue – upwards of 99% – comes from outside of the province. Rocket Bot Royale is bringing a lot of money into Saskatchewan.

With two massively popular games under their belt, Rocket Bot Royale and Goober Dash, Winter Pixel Games is becoming a globally recognized brand from right here in the land of living skies.

Successful Tour Helps Flash Back Win Third Saskatchewan Music Award

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Nathan Daschuk was a successful grant recipient of our Tour Support (Music stream) grant for his band “Flash Back” to tour in the summer of 2023.

Saskatchewan-based alternative rock band, Flash Back, have amassed countless fans and listeners since releasing their first frequencies in 2020.

After two years of dedicated touring throughout several countries such as Canada, USA, UK, Germany, France, Slovakia, Belgium, and Poland, Flash Back released their new album, North American Nü Metal 2, on June 2nd, 2023. With funding from Creative Saskatchewan’s Tour Support grant, the band went on tour to help market the new music.Flash Back

Flash Back planned their tour by looking at where they’ve played in the past and where their demographics thrive. With the band’s most popular cities being Regina, Saskatoon, Calgary, Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, and Tulsa, Flash Back decided on a west coast tour with additional stops in Texas and Oklahoma.

Through thrilling, high-energy, and captivating performances, Flash Back showed audiences what they’re all about. Social media activity and word-of-mouth have been an integral part of Flash Back’s success, but they’ve shown that touring is the fastest way to build their loyal fanbase and listeners.

“This funding helped our tour thrive,” says Daschuk. “Creative Saskatchewan’s assistance for this tour allowed us to plan additional tours later in the year without lingering debt that would have been caused without this funding.” Flash Back’s successful tour and album release helped them secure a third Saskatchewan Music Award for Heavy Artist of the Year.

Watch Makes Connections in Cannes

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Jessica Watch (Trilight Entertainment) was a successful grant recipient of our Showcase or Sell Travel Grant, which was utilized to pitch their movies at the Cannes Film Festival 2023.

Jessica Watch is well-educated in the business of film.

Jessica Watch
Jessica Watch

Watch graduated from the University of Regina in 2015 with a degree in Film and Video Production and a Minor in Business Administration before starting as a Production Coordinator right out of school. She spent these early years of her career learning the industry while taking a keen interest in business affairs and production. For two years, Watch worked on ten films in a variety of roles, kickstarting her knowledge and expertise in film production.

Today, Watch oversees production-related legal and business affairs, including drafting agreements, navigating provincial tax credit systems, and completing delivery for all of Trilight Entertainment’s feature films. With just under a decade of experience in production, six of which focused on business affairs, she has extensive experience in all stages of development.

Over the last three years, Watch has been able to attend the Cannes Film Festival with the help of Creative Saskatchewan Showcase or Sell Travel Grants. Overseas, Watch makes connections that are vital to Trighlight’s success.

Meeting with different writers, producers, and companies in Cannes has made a world of difference for the business. In 2022, for example, Watch locked in both a director and financing for their movie, Summer at Charlotte’s. In 2023, she locked in a distributor for A Cowboy Christmas.

“Creative Saskatchewan’s support is very important,” says Watch. “I rely on them to allow me to go to these markets and make these connections.”

As Trighlight continues its growth, Watch is looking forward to the release of The Gifts of Christmas and We Kill Them All, both of which were shot at Elk Ridge Resort in Saskatchewan.

Cuthand Pitches Private Gig in Whistler

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Shawn Cuthand is a man of many talents. The writer, actor, stand-up comedian, and producer is currently working on a horror comedy feature film called Private Gig about the life of a stand-up comic during the pandemic.Shawn Cuthand

Cuthand had the opportunity to work on Private Gig through the Whistler Film Festival 2023 Saskatchewan Market Accelerator, a new, unique program funded by Creative Saskatchewan in partnership with the Whistler Film Festival. One of just six producers chosen for the program, Cuthand experienced an intensive multi-phase project development program designed to accelerate the careers of Saskatchewan-based producers.

In Whistler, Cuthand pitched to Neon Pictures and Raven Banner. He received great feedback and encouragement to finish his script and was able to push the project further.

After his time in Whistler, Cuthand received an Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) grant to help finance Private Gig‘s development. Cuthand notes that having the experience of participating in the Saskatchewan Market Accelerator program on his resume assuredly helped him receive the ISO Development Grant.

Cuthand knew about Creative Saskatchewan and all the great things they were doing for a while, but he never thought he would be eligible for funding from them. But after applying for and receiving a travel grant to attend the Yorkton Film Festival, he met with Creative Saskatchewan staff who really encouraged and helped him apply to go to Whistler.

“Starting the application for a grant is the hardest part,” Cuthand says. “But after you apply once, you get in the habit and applying for more grants becomes easier.”Shawn Cuthand - Comedy

In addition to Private Gig, Cuthand is preparing for the Vancouver Fringe Festival where he’ll be performing as part of the Full Metal Comedy stand-up comedy show this September, and is working on Season 2 of The Feather News with Danny Knight, Ryan Moccasin and Muskwa Lerat.

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