Haiderali Ajmeri, a budding young filmmaker who recently graduated from UBC’s film production program, plans to shoot a short hitchhiking comedy film in Osoyoos later this month. (Contributed photo)
A budding young filmmaker has chosen Osoyoos as the backdrop for a film he’s wanted to make for a long time.
Haiderali Ajmeri, 22, who graduated this year from the University of British Columbia (UBC) film production program, plans to shoot the short film “Two Thumbs Up” here between Aug. 24 and Aug. 28.
The comedy, which Ajmeri expects will run around 20 to 25 minutes when it’s completed later this year, involves a young man headed for Los Angeles. He picks up a hitchhiker, who turns out to be an escaped convict.
“I was looking for more of a desert look for this film,” said Ajmeri. “I thought it would look really cool, especially given this hitchhiker has been on his own in almost barren landscape for a while and it kind of adds to his own survival.”
Although the film is supposed to be set in the United States, Ajmeri did some scouting and learned that Osoyoos has been used in other films.
“I thought Osoyoos is the perfect spot,” he said.
At a special meeting last Wednesday, Osoyoos Town Council approved an agreement with Ajmeri that allows him to use the airstrip at Osoyoos airport for $100 a day. He is also required to carry $5 million in general liability insurance.
Only three council members were present – Mayor Sue McKortoff and councillors Jim King and C.J. Rhodes.
Rhodes said he received some public input suggesting the town should charge more for the use of the strip and he initially agreed. But after thinking about it, he reconsidered.
“The film industry is a huge economic driver in the Okanagan and we’ve experienced some major films made right in our community,” said Rhodes. “Most of the information that we get back from the film industry is that they do support the community.”
He said that even Ajmeri’s crew of 12 people would be staying in local accommodation and eating in local restaurants.
McKortoff noted that the other users of the airstrip are the Wine Country Racing Association, which doesn’t pay a flat fee, but instead pays a portion of gate receipts, and the Penticton Model Aviation Club, which doesn’t pay.
“It might be a good way of getting more films here,” she said, adding that she remained a bit concerned the fee was too low, but said she was willing to go either way with regard to the fee.
The Osoyoos area has been used in a number of films.
The 2010 movie “Gunless” was filmed nearby on a set of seven buildings at Elkink Ranch, which was later used in at least one other movie, a Mexican film called “Dance of the Little Old Man.”
A Punjabi-language film called “Crash” was also filmed here in 2014, which included filming at the Osoyoos airstrip, as well as at Elkink Ranch. That film featured Punjabi star actor Jimmy Shergill.
Then, last November, Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage came to Osoyoos to appear in a science-fiction thriller called “The Humanity Bureau.”
Ajmeri may not be ready yet to shoot a feature film, but he has a number of short films under his belt, either as a director or producer.
He’s directed “Movie Magic,” “Conscious Call” and “FIPR 233,” which can be seen on his YouTube channel.
He’s also produced “Vanessa,” “The Talisman,” and “Baghead,” which were directed by others.
“I’m just starting out,” he said. “Short films are a great way to start making films and start exploring the stories I’d like to tell, directing and writing and filmmaking in general.”
In his UBC program, the students often made short films.
“It’s a chance to exercise everything and I guess even make a few mistakes along the way and learn,” he said. “It’s a really great way to learn filmmaking by doing it.”
Short films also aren’t nearly as expensive to make as feature-length films.
He plans to finish shooting “Two Thumbs Up” by the end of the summer and expects postproduction to take a few more months, with the film released closer to the end of the year.
“We are going to be submitting to a few film festivals and hopefully once we’ve gone to that cycle, open it to a wide release that will be accessible to anyone,” Ajmeri said.
His “bare-bones” crew is mostly people he knows from his UBC studies who agreed to help him out for a chance to make a film in the desert.
There are three primary acting roles and two smaller roles for a cast of five.
“We will be staying in Osoyoos during the duration of the shoot,” he said. “We’re really excited about that, getting to stay there on location… This is a really cool, beautiful area.”
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
