INDIGENOUS SCIENCE FICTION FILM SHOT AT COMIC CON WITH MENTORSHIP FROM THE FLASH AND PICARD FILMMAKERS SET FOR RELEASE
Conquest stars Mark Meer and Wakisha williams during production
May 10, 2023 (Prince George, BC) - A science fiction film shot entirely at a comic convention pairing local filmmakers with their industry leader counterparts has finished post-production and is ready for release.
Indigenous filmmaker Norm Coyne who wrote and produced the project, titled Conquest, is thrilled the film is complete and can’t wait to share it and the story behind the production with audiences.
“Both the film and the convention possess a spirit of empowerment and inclusivity,” said Coyne “It is a beautiful thing to see emerging talent level up from this type of initiative.”
he film’s logline reads “When an incompetent intergalactic conqueror crash lands at a comic convention, he must find a way to subdue the locals or face the wrath of his merciless counterparts.”
Coyne, who is an Upper Similkameen Indian Band member based in Kelowna, touts the film as a colonization story with a different kind of reflection.
“The message of this film is one of considerate immersion into culture and the positive effects of that journey,” said Coyne ”The mentorship element echoes the importance of learning that is prominent in the film.”
Conquest was produced by Barker Street Cinema with a specific structure in place. Celebrity filmmaker guests of the Northern FanCon convention were paired with their local counterparts to shoot the film. Pre-production and production spanned the course of the 3 days of the convention.
Guests who were paired with crew based in the city of Prince George included Tina Teoli, former head of make-up department for The Flash and The Good Doctor, Allisa Swanson, costume designer for The 100 and Firefly Lane, Evil Ted Smith, art department for The Fifth Element, and Marc Bernardin, Writer’s Guild award winner for Castle Rock and a supervising producer of Picard. The film also included an impressive spaceship build that spanned one week helmed by Lost in Space prop builder Aaron Harrison. Stars included Mark Meer of the blockbuster video game series Mass Effect, Ming Chen of AMC’s Comic Book Men, Willie Kukle of Jurassic World Lego and Wakisha Williams from A Great North Christmas. . The film was directed by award winning filmmaker Kate Kroll who Coyne chose to helm the production based on her current momentum in the industry.
“I have been following Kate’s career closely and I believe she is headed for the top,” said Coyne “She absolutely needed to be the person to direct this film.”
Since it’s inaugural year in 2015, Northern FanCon has hosted over 100 celebrity guests and filmmakers to the city of Prince George including William Shatner, Nichelle Nichols, Lou Ferrigno, and Kevin Smith to name only a few.
Coyne, who also founded the convention, steered towards a filmmaker focus for the event in 2018 with aspirations of jumpstarting Prince George as a shooting location for film and television. With the support of local MLA Shirley Bond and funding from Creative BC, he formed the Creative Corner, a workshop series at the event to help stimulate interest in careers in the film industry. It was a tremendous success and laid the track for a series of feature films that were shot in the city and relationships that would eventually lead to the mentorship shooting model of Conquest.
“Being in a position to access high level industry talent who are open to this kind of filmmaking model is an unbelievable opportunity.” said Coyne, “It is a testament to the power of an event like Northern FanCon”
The film is set to premiere at festivals this summer. For more information or to keep up to date with the film and where to see it, follow Barker Street Cinema on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or watch this website for further details.
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