Stettler’s big screen will soon be coming to the small screen, via the CBC.
According to a release by Stettler’s Jewel Theatre on June 15, the CBC production Absolutely Canadian was in town filming a segment on independent movie theatres in the province.
The CBC production team attended the theatre on June 13 where they interviewed staff and filmed the interior of the decades-old facility.
Jewel Theatre is one of the few independent theatres in the province which will be featured on a special segment of Absolutely Canadian called Magic Hours.
“By shining a spotlight on some of these magical places and the challenges they face, we aim to celebrate the vital role they’ve played in our communities,” said filmmaker and director Levi Holwell of Back Road Productions.
The Jewel release continues that Holwell “felt an immediate connection” to Stettler and the Stettler theatre.
“It’s the sort of theatre I was really hoping to discover when I started working on this documentary,” he said. “It has a feeling of care and love, much like the Globe Theatre in Calgary. It’s like a sacred space – and of course, a filmmaker would say that.”
As for Stettler, Holwell says “Some small towns have a charm and a history that appeal to me, and I feel that here.”
While the first filming session is done, Holwell and his team will be back on June 30 to do more filming when the theatre celebrates its 70th Anniversary celebration.
The production on the Magic Hours segment is due to conclude in October, and CBC has not yet announced an air date though late 2023 or early 2024 is expected.