A short film that was shot and produced in Grande Prairie has been nominated for six Rosie Awards. The drama Aeternitas follows the story of the first attempt to travel back in time. Producer and Cinematographer Chris Beauchamp says the nominations show all the hard work people put in on the project.
“We’re really proud [and] we’re really humbled by the nominations. It reflects very well on our local community more than on any of us as individuals. There were over 80 people who helped us make this film, the majority of them from the area. The nominations reflect the hard work of all of those people.”
The film was written and directed by Gordie Haakstad and was funded with the help of a TELUS STORYHIVE grant. Filming at the old EMCO building started last summer and was finished in late 2018. Beauchamp says he can’t imagine ever producing or shooting a film anywhere else but Grande Prairie.
“We have been so involved in the film community here and there’s something special about Grande Prairie… When people hear you’re making a film locally often they want to be involved and want to help whereas in bigger cities that have maybe have seen a lot more film production people have been burned in the past.”
The film is up against other Alberta produced movies and shows like Heartland. It is up for Best Dramatic Short as well as Best Director and Best Screenwriter for Gordie Haakstad and Best Overall Sound for a drama under 30 minutes for Iain Pattison and Cody Flynn.
Beauchamp has also been nominated for Best Cinematographer for a drama under 30 minutes and his wife Laura was nominated for Best Production Designer/ Art Director. The awards will be handed out by the Alberta Media Production Industries Association at a ceremony in Edmonton on April 27th.