Morris, Manitoba – It was Christmas in June at the Morris Curling Club last week, as the L.A. based production company, Cartel Entertainment, was onsite to record a new Hallmark Christmas movie on Friday, June 16th.
Thanks to being one of the lone curling clubs in the country to have year-round ice, the production crew was able to film the actors & actresses on the ice, as well as in the Coral Lounge (upstairs at the Morris Multiplex), in its tour across the province.
The TV Movie called, “Written in the Stars”, will follow a typical Hallmark Christmas style romcom, revolving around a love story of a couple who have passions about outer space.
Ethan Brandt, a resident of Morris and the Summer Student at the Morris Curling Club talked about his experience interacting behind the scenes with the production crew. “It felt like a true Hollywood experience. It was cool to see the equipment they brought in and be included during the day. I enjoyed having the chance talk with people in all sorts of different roles, including the actors. It will be awesome to see the Morris Curling Club in a movie on TV.”
While based in Los Angeles, Cartel Entertainment has an office in Winnipeg and sees value in the growing film industry throughout the province with most of the production staff being from Winnipeg and the surrounding areas.
Lorne Hamblin coordinated the club hosting the production crew, and he mentioned how nice it was to have Morris be featured in a movie like this. “Hopefully this continues to put Morris on the map. Tiffany and her team were a treat to work with. I was very impressed by the whole team’s attitude, adaptability, and care they showed to both to their craft as well our facility. We really enjoyed it and would welcome any opportunity to continue to work with their team again!”
The team will continue filming across various location in Selkirk & Winnipeg including the Planetarium over the next 3 weeks with “Written in the Stars” set to be released this Christmas season.
About Morris Curling Club
The Morris Curling Club is home to the Cargill Curling Training Centre and is regarded as one of the top curling training facilities in the World, with many top curlers using its facilities including the Canadian Rock Thrower. Practice ice continues to be available with leagues for all skill and age levels beginning again in the fall. The kickoff to the competitive curling season begins for the club August 18th – 20th with the MJCT Summer Classic.