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Exclusive – The Bequest Part II

exclusiveJeff Kopas recently finished his feature film, The Bequest. I was lucky enough to catch up to the director to ask him all about the process.

“Having grown up around the Georgian Bay Islands, a familiar and isolated hunting and fishing lodge became the ideal location to shoot the feature.”

Given the remote location, I asked Jeff about the accommodations available. He told me the crew stayed on an island outfitted with cabins, while the cast slept in a lodge once owned by Ripley’s Believe It Or Not guru. It was furnished with an array of fascinating and bizarre items. “It added an element of strange and unusual creepiness, sticking with the theme of the film.”

Jeff shot the film in one month and financed it through private equity, a development fund and the Super Channel. The final edit is expected to be finished by May of 2016. Jeff is hoping to premiere it at TIFF. A very talented Amin Bhatia is composing the music.

Coincidentally enough, both Ken Mitchell and Shenae Grimes (pictured) live in the valley in L.A.
Ken is better known for his role in The Astronaut Wives Club, Jericho and Minority Report. Shenae had a recurring role in 90210.

Ken told me he easily fell into character as the FX make-up went on. The artificial scars, the grime and the environment provided plenty of inspiration.

Jeff was able to take maximum advantage of the tax credits allowed, due to an all-Canadian cast.

(Courtesy photo)

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