Alberta's Newest Film Friendly Location

June 2, 2021

On April 13, Medicine Hat welcomed Crowsnest Films, who shot three new commercials for connectFirst Credit Union.

“It's great to showcase one of our main Alberta cities in this light, we see are seeing all these features that maybe the residents of Medicine Hat take for granted everyday," says Dennis Lenarduzzi, vice president, connectFirst Credit Union.

For a project of this size, producer, John Kerr, owner, producer, and director at Crowsnest Films, explained the crew would typically look for a location within an hour of Calgary, for ease of access to equipment rentals and other film services. 

“The people of Medicine Hat welcomed us with open arms and proudly shared their beautiful hometown with us and all Albertans,” says Kerr. “Medicine Hat has has an abundance of unique geography and architecture. It is the perfect setting for the stories we wanted to tell.”

Kerr described Medicine Hat as having the right mix of residential, commercial and industrial buildings, making Medicine Hat an ideal location for a post-apocalyptic film as well as any kind of period piece.

“One of the unique things I could do in Medicine Hat that would not be possible in a larger city is stand in the middle of a street, uninterrupted by a vehicle,” says Kerr. “Medicine Hat has so much to offer that would suit a variety of film genres and is a slower-paced city which allowed us to get a lot done in a shorter period of time.”

Location scout Laszlo Uhrik described Medicine Hat as an “undiscovered gem of wonderful picturesque locations that photograph beautifully – a great backdrop to any movie.”

He explained that when scouting for these particular commercials he first needed to connect with the City to obtain appropriate permitting and services. Uhrik connected with the City Clerk and then connected with Invest Medicine Hat’s business development specialist, Jon Sookocheff.

“The City and contacts at Invest Medicine Hat (IMH) were integral and very helpful in introducing us to the community with only a couple day’s notice,” says Uhrik. “You never know what type of connections you will need in a city, so having an organization like IMH that acts as a one-stop-shop to businesses, services, and the city, is very valuable for an industry like film production.”

Crowsnest Films is an award-winning boutique production company based in Calgary, Alberta, specializing in producing films across all screen-based motion picture, television, and digital/interactive platforms.

The finished commercials for connectFirst Credit Union can be viewed online:

-        Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuEQ10R4FCI&t=1s

-        We are one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMdBd2ROlFs

-        Stargazers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jEb1kP25xk

Interested in filming in Medicine Hat? Contact Jon Sookocheff at jonsoo@medicinehat.ca or (403) 982-1992.