Fort Macleod council will help a local resident make a film about her home town.
Council agreed last week to waive several fees for Natasha Hurlburt, who plans to direct a film about 1990s Fort Macleod.
“I think it’s a great opportunity,” Mayor Brent Feyter said.
The request for support was on the agenda of council’s June 26 meeting at the G.R. Davis Administration Building.
Director of community and protective services Liisa Gillingham reported to a meeting she had with Natasha Hurlburt.
“She is interested in starting and making a short film in Fort Macleod,” Gillingham said. “My understanding is that she has written it. This is her project.”
Hurlburt is looking for donations and sponsorship to fund the project and approached the Town of Fort Macleod for help.
In a sponsorship letter, Hurlburt explained the 15-minute film will showcase Fort Macleod as it was in the late 1990s.
“My vision for this project is to submit it to various film festivals, with the premiere scheduled to be held at the prestigious Empress Theatre as a red carpet event,” Hurlburt wrote.
Hurlburt, who owns JBJ Auto Wrecking in Fort Macleod, explained that she was raised in Fort Macleod and in 2015 embarked on a career in the film industry.
“The inspiration for this film stems from my own teenage years spent here in Fort Macleod,” Hurlburt wrote. “I have meticulously crafted a script that reflects the essence of our community during that era.”
The film will feature Fort Macleod’s historic Main Street, river valley and the outdoor swimming pool.
Gillingham suggested to council the Town of Fort Macleod could help by waiving facility and other fees.
Gillingham suggested to council waiving the application, pool and lifeguard and fire department fees, along with the $5,000 damage deposit.
“It’s a relatively small scale production,” Gillingham said.
Hurlburt set sponsorship at various levels including diamond, $900; gold, $750; silver, $500; and bronze, $250.
