Tinsel Town moving to prairies

Page R8

Saskatchewan is about to become the Hollywood of the north and Aboriginal people are playing major roles.

Lloyd Martel, associate producer of the action-adventure movie, Decoy, being filmed in Regina and LaRonge, thinks that a trend may be developing where Saskatchewan will become a prime place to produce movies.

Martel, originally from Waterhen First Nation, became affiliated with the movie through Mind's Eye Production.

Decoy stars Peter Weller (RobCop) Robert Patrick (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) and Charlotte Lewis (The Golden Child.) The movie also employs local talent as actors and crew.

"Approximately seven out of ten trainees are Indian people", says Martel. "They are mostly being trained in the technical area. A number of residents of LaRonge will be utilized in the making of the film."

Tom Mackenzie, an employee and spokesperson with the Kitskan Development Corporation in LaRonge says the company has invested almost a quarter of a million dollars into the project.

"This movie will not only generate excitement in our community, it also injects money into our local economy," he said.

At a press conference held on July 25, Kevin DeWalt, president of Mind's Eye Pictures and Gary Kaufman of Buffalo Films of Los Angeles announced that a $20 million, six-picture co-production deal was signed and will result in a tremendous boost to the Saskatchewan film industry.

"The support and flexibility we have received during the filming of Decoy from our Regina and LaRonge locations has shown that Saskatchewan is a great place to shoot a movie," said DeWalt. "Entertainment and communications will be the fastest growing sectors of this decade," he added.

Robert Patrick, who plays Jack Travis in the movie, said he's never been to Saskatchewan before and thinks it's a very nice place and that the people are great.

"I'm really looking forward to meeting and working with the Indian people in LaRonge," said Patrick. "Through my ancestry I have Cherokee blood in me and this makes me all the more interested in being here."

The film is laced with unique special designs by "Hollywood's superstar of special effects," three time academy award winner Carlo Rambaldi, creator of characters and special effects in E.T, Alien and King Kong.

Decoy will be released next spring.