MATT CHEETHAM
Arts Writer

Saskatoon has been lucky in recent years to play host to several film productions, including the recently completed Stained.

Stained is a psychological thriller that revolves around the character of Isabelle, a young woman who has a dark past and troubled childhood. Finding refuge as an owner of a small bookstore, she has an interesting relationship with her adopted sister. This plot drives the movie as viewers are left with a twisted view of events to piece together like a jigsaw puzzle.

“In our marketing of it we’ve likened it to movies like Mulholland Drive and Fight Club, where you are really off balance and trying to figure out what’s going on. You are frustrated that you are drawn into it and trying to solve it,” explains Wally Start who is a producer on the film.

Stained was written and directed by Karen Lam and produced by Saskatoon’s Angel Entertainment. Produced by Bob Crowe and Wally Start, Stained stars Vancouver actress Tinsel Korey as Isabelle.

Karen Lam, who found success with the international organization Women in The Director’s Chair, wanted to branch out into writing and directing. Lam had met Crowe previously and was convinced to film the movie in Saskatoon after falling in love with the city’s beauty. Lam was then able to complete her financing of the film after convincing TeleFilm and SaskFilm to shoot the entire film here instead of the original destination, which was Vancouver.

Stained had a pretty smooth filming schedule as the movie was filmed over three weeks in October.

Producer Start plans to get the movie into several film festivals first and is hoping to get a theatrical distribution deal before moving to television.

“We’re hoping to get into Cannes, if we’re so lucky,” he said.

Stained will eventually air on cable channels such as Super Channel, APTN and SCN.

Start and Crowe have been fortunate with their company Angel Entertainment. They have produced a previous film entitled Shadow Puppets and a television series called Rabbit Falls that is currently going into it’s third season and airs on the APTN network. The future looks bright for the company as they have several films and television series in early development and feel that this is only the beginning.

Stained is tentatively scheduled for release next year on cable and DVD.

“I think it’s going to be a really cool genre movie and people are really going to follow and like it,” said Start.