N.W.T. book to be filmed in Ontario

The film adaptation of a novel set in the N.W.T. will be filmed entirely in Northern Ontario after attempts to raise the money to film parts of it North of 60 failed.

Richard Van Camps first novel The Lesser Blessed is about a young native man trying to make his wayin "Fort Simmer," a thinly disguised version of the authors hometown, Fort Smith.

Van Camp said hewanted to see his story filmed in the territorywhere he grew up.

"I want to see Dettah and Ndilo," he said. "I want to see my elders with their little kerchiefs. I want everyone to go 'Hey, hey, hey!' in the movie audience, not 'Yeah, that's Sudbury.'"

After raising $2.2 million over the past six years, the production was only $250,000 away from Van Camps dream to film part of the movie in the Northwest Territories. The production team appealed to the territorial government for funding and came up empty handed.

However Ontario chipped in with about $500,000 of production funding.

An N.W.T. government report released in May stated the film, video and digital media industries bring $9 million into the territorys economy, yet the N.W.T. film commission has a newly-increased budget of only $100,000.

"Right now we are building a foundation," said Camilla MacEachern, associate film commissioner for the Northwest Territories. "This is a start. In the next fiscal year were going to be reviewing this program, and the need for this program. Really, it can only grow."

Northern filmmaker Pablo Saravanja said he's hopeful for the future but is encouraging the N.W.T. government to make the northern film industry a higher priority so the territory doesnt miss out on more opportunities.

"The idea that a celebrated author like Richard Van Camp has to take his northern stories and get them made in southern Canada because the industry is ready for them and because the governments are willing to support them down there is painful actually," he said. "It hurts."

Production on the film, which will star Benjamin Bratt, is set to begin early next month.