A made-in-the-NWT feature film will have its theatrical premiere Friday in Yellowknife and next Wednesday in Hay River.
Elijah and the Rock Creature, previously titled Dark Sky, is a production filmed in the territory with talent, crew and funding drawn from the North. The film follows a young boy, Elijah, who gets separated from his mother while on a camping trip in Wood Buffalo National Park. He encounters a mythical rock creature, who helps him find his way back.
Written and directed by Jen Walden and produced by Jeremy Emerson, the film was put together with a largely local cast, crew and funding. Walden estimates 85 per cent of the money to make the film came from Northern donors, according to the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, including over $26,000 raised through an online crowdfunding campaign.
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The film was one of three projects across Canada who won the Indiecan20K prize. Together with ITI, the prize added around $250,000 to the production.
Elijah & the Rock Creature: Official Trailer from Jeremy Emerson on Vimeo.
The film had its festival premiere at the Yellowknife International Film Festival last fall, it will now have a run at theatres in Yellowknife and Hay River starting Friday.
Theatrical premiere dates:
Capitol Theatre – Yellowknife
Friday April 12, 1:00 pm
Saturday April 13, 1:00 pm
Sunday April 14, 1:00 pm
Wednesday April 17, 1:00 pm & early evening show – National CDN film day
Riverview Cineplex – Hay River
Wednesday April 17, Time: TBC
