An unique web-series shot in Sylvan Lake is now streaming across the world.
The Albertan film company in Numera Films shot part of the first season of Abracadavers in Sylvan Lake in the summer of 2017.
As of Jan. 1, the first season is available to stream on Amazon Prime, iTunes, and The Fantasy Network in the U.K, the U.S, Germany and Japan.
The world-wide availability of the series is due to a distribution deal with Washington-based company Zombie Orpheus Entertainment, the show’s star and producer Griffin Cork said.
“It is really unbelievable,” Cork said. “It’s Indescribable to have our project available to others around the world.”
Cork continued to say it felt like the team behind Abracadavers was “being rewarded” for their hard work.
Up until this point the series has only been available on YouTube and to Canadians on Telus Optik. Cork says Numera Films is working to get a Canadian distribution deal.
The show is a unique coming of age story with the climax of the story having been shot in Sylvan Lake.
“The penultimate scene of the season was shot on the lake, which makes it really special I think,” Cork said.
Numera Films chose Sylvan Lake to shoot their series for a couple reasons; because it is a beautiful location and because it is relatively unknown.
Cork says he is shocked that companies don’t use the area for filming.
“We were welcomed with open arms… I’m really surprised no one really films here,” he said.
The film company sought out locations in Alberta that were both beautiful and relatively unknown outside of the local presence.
Cork says many know about Lake Louise and Drumheller, but there are a lot of beautiful locations throughout the province.
“It was really important to us to show the pretty locations in Alberta. We wanted to showcase the unknown locations in the province.”
The general plot of the show helps to put these unknown locations.
Abracadavers is about a young man named Chris who is dealing with the death of his mother, when his friends kidnap him and take him on a trip to help him get over his grief. And, somewhere along the way also develop super powers.
“The super powers are not the main plot. It reminds me a lot of how you think in high school… ‘Sure Timmy has super powers, but I have a zit and prom is tomorrow and does Jane like me?’”
“It’s really these characters thinking no one in the world is worse off than they are at that moment, and then add super powers.”
Cork admits, the show is a hard sell to talk about the general plot. Ultimately he says it is about “people figuring it out.”
A second season of the show is in the works, and Corks says he would love to come back to Sylvan Lake for more filming.
“What really stands out to me was the community. We were so welcomed and people were just so happy to have us there and helpful, it was great,” Cork said.
Abracadavers is streaming now in the U.S.A, U.K., Germany and Japan. The show is available in Canada through Telus Optik.