Photo: Casey Richardson

Staging area with movie trailer and tents set up in front of Wholesale Club in Penticton for the ABC pilot National Parks

Look out for more movie crews making their way throughout the South Okanagan, with three projects shooting right now.

Jon Summerland, Okanagan Film Commissioner said “One of the productions filming right now is the ABC pilot National Parks, with big names associated to it, this is a bright star in our region.”

Kevin Costner is a producer and a co-writer of the production that is working on the pilot for the series, shooting throughout Penticton.

“A pilot of this magnitude is putting this region on the path to a long format television series that would employ hundreds of people over a long period of time, and we are super excited about this prospect.”

“And,” Summerland continues, “We are also lucky for production companies, like REEL ONE Entertainment, who are shooting so many films in the Okanagan.

“Already in 2021, REEL ONE, who are currently filming their sixth Movie of the Week, Home For Christmas, has, since January, already shot Christmas Au Pair, Love Song For Noel, Waiting For Christmas, Home For My Heart, and Falling For Christmas.”

“REEL ONE producers, Gilles Laplante and Costa Vassos, are contributing substantially to building this region’s recognition that we are benefitting from. They are also hiring and training so many local young people in the process. Big kudos go to REEL ONE for producing so many films and being major contributors to the growth of this region.”

The 2021 film and television production schedule keeps expanding with new projects, new companies coming to film in the South Okanagan and the continued commitment to filming multiple productions here by individual production companies.

“This is going to continue to be a great year of growth and expansion.”