12102020 December 10 2020

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CHAPLEAU EXPRESS

Local News Weekly

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Vol. 25, Issue 15, December 10, 2020

Local Film Wins Another Award

T

he Chapleau shot feature film, The Road to Tophet, is back in the spotlight again with it's latest win, Best Feature at the Sault Film Festival. The sold out screening opened the festival which highlights the work of northern filmmakers. "It was a great honour to be invited to play at the festival and I applaud the vision and hard work of festival founders, Rebeka Herron and Trish Rainone. It's so important that local work gets representation and exposure" said the film's director Steve Schmidt. The history of The Road to Tophet has been one of slow and steady progress. Originally shot in 2012, the film took two years in post production. "Most films are made in an assembly line approach in which one team hands off to another down the line." says the film's writer/director Steve Schmidt. "This film was hand made - the artisanal approach. A small group of people who saw it through from writing, to shooting, to picture editing, to sound mix and so on." Along the way the film garnered the support of the community of Chapleau. "We couldn't have done it without the support of the people of Chapleau - they really embraced our cause," adds actor/producer Axel Green, "especially important was the support of Chapleau Cree First Nation who came on as a producing partner." It was through the participation of Long Term Chapleau Cree First Forecast N ation that Brian Thursday Edwards came to be a High -1 producer/writer on the Low -6 film and this eventually Friday lead to an offer from High -5 A d a m B e a c h Low -9 (Windtalkers, Suicide Saturday High -4 Low -9 Sunday High -5 Low -9 Monday High -4 Low -9 Tuesday High -1 Low -7

Squad, Arctic Air) - who saw a rough cut of the film - to do the 'Windego story' narration for the film which Edwards had written. T h e R o a d t o To p h e t p r e m i e r e d a t t h e To r o n t o Independent Film Festival in 2014 and took Best Micro Budget Feature. Screening at festivals around the world, the film accumulated more awards winning Best Director at the Green Bay Film Festival in 2015; Best Screenplay at the Berlin International Filmmakers Festival in 2016, a Special Commendation for Direction from the Scottish Independent Film Festival in 2017 and Best Canadian Feature from the Canada Independent Film Festival in Montreal in 2018. In 2019 the film inked a distribution deal with TVA Films of Montreal. This latest win sparked renewed interest on social media Photo Kari Luhtasaari with people once again wondering where they can find the film. "Jason Rioux saw the reaction online and reached out to me. He felt that the film is a good fit for MarketPlace, the artisan craft show that takes place at the Chapleau Hub," says Schmidt. For those interested, copies will be on sale at the year's final MarketPlace at The Hub, Saturday December 12th. The film is also available digitally via iTunes. The Road to Tophet also features the work of a number of Chapleau folks: the film

was co-written by Jeremy Beal and includes some cinematography by Kari Luhtasaari. A large number of Chapleauites appear in the film including actor/stuntman Steve Gagne and a very memorable performance by the late Orville Robinson. "Anyone who knows Chapleau has a great time watching the film as they see people and places they know so well," says Schmidt.

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12102020 December 10 2020 by The Chapleau Express - Issuu