Local filmmaker Santiago Larrauri, or “Santi” as many call him, is bringing a full-length feature to life in the area and plans to start shooting before the end of summer.
Founder of the Pembina Valley Films production company, he describes his role on this particular project as a jack-of-all-trades. “Producer. Director. Janitor.”
A short film training ground
Larrauri began acting at 14 and has worked as a director and producer in his home country of the Philippines.
After moving to the area, he didn’t expect to return to filmmaking, but a Facebook post asking if there were any local filmmakers drew an unexpected amount of interest. That led to the creation of the Pembina Valley Filmmakers Forum and, eventually, a series of short films.
“I noticed there was talent here, and I started doing some classes, teaching students how to film. And it just grew from there,” said Larrauri. The shorts began gaining recognition at festivals, and after several successful projects, the team decided to take on their biggest challenge to date.
The white whale of every creator at some point or another, a full-length feature film.
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The collaborative story
The script, which Larrauri wrote with the Pembina Valley in mind, tells the story of Jolene.
“She suffers from cognitive amnesia from an accident… the truth slowly comes out and reveals itself as we go along. And the entire community goes into an effort to actually help her.”
Slated to begin shooting once they complete casting this summer, Larrauri said that he’s excited to get started filming.
He says that sense of community is both in the story and in how the film is being made. “It’s a local effort… we’re not going to have any effort making it look like some other place,” he said, adding that support for the project has already been exceptional, with local businesses offering locations for free, and volunteers eager to help.
“The movie itself, the storyline itself is about the sense of community… both behind the camera and in front of the camera.”
The film, titled ‘Bars & Benches’, is still looking for scene locations, and people looking to get involved can reach out to Laurrari through the Pembina Valley Films Facebook page.