To explore writing and filmmaking, in spring, 2006, members of the Cucumber Satellite Core Ensemble shot 4 short films with Director Kate Twa and Technical Director Ronan Reinart. The films, Donut Game (Rachel Cairns &Adrian Petriw), The Pact (Anthony Shim & Victor Ayala), The Breakup (Bo Jovanovic & James Pizzinato) and Initiation (Taylor Hill & Sophia Anastasiou) were developed through both rehearsal and improvisation. With more grit then gloss, our work took an exciting turn. . .

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In fall of 2007 we began work on our first feature film. First titled 'Meth Film', then 'Run Rabbit Run', and finally ' Candyland', post production has just completed -- with participation of Telefilm Canada,  Goldtooth Creative Agency, and Mutant Films. Before we began principal photography we undertook an extensive 6-months ofresearch, interviewing police officers, addicts, ex-addicts, hospice workers, parole officers, psychiatrists, and councilors.

We struck gold with Lee Mason, and ex-addict who is currently a First Nations drug and grief councilor (Lee is also in the film), and founder of the Young Warriors Network. We also worked with BJ Chute and Trevor Zechel, of the BC Paramedics Assocation, two wonderful paramedics who coached us on the physical effects of speed and also helped us with our very real death scene.

For the following 6 months we rehearsed and rehearsed and rehearsed. Finding news headlines involving Crystal Meth, we would go into the studio and improvise stories and how they could fit together.While the story of the film is fictional, it is inspired by a collection of true events, taken from interviews and news stories. This is part of the reason the film looks and feels so “real”.

So with about as much tenacity as fear, balls were thrown to the wall and Candyland is the result. For more information, please see: www.candylandthemovie.com.