White Rock-based producer and screenwriter Kraig Wenman is over the moon right now.

The feature screenplay veteran B次元官网网址� heB次元官网网址檚 sold scores of them, including many for the Lifetime Movie Network and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channels B次元官网网址� recently learned his passion project, the true crime B次元官网网址榙ramedyB次元官网网址�, Bandit, will debut in Cineplex movie theatres B次元官网网址� including LangleyB次元官网网址檚 Colossus B次元官网网址� on Sept. 23.

The theatrical window for the film will be joined by a host of online and cable streaming options, including Apple-TV, Prime B次元官网网址, VUDU, Google Play, Microsoft, Spectrum, DirecTV, Comcast, Cox, Dish, Fios, Telus, Shaw, Rogers and Bell.

And, thanks to territory deals closed by Wenman and his production partners at the Cannes Film Festival in May, audiences will also be seeing it everywhere from the UK, France, Spain, Greece, Italy, Germany to Poland, the Baltic States, the Middle East, South Korea, Taiwan and South Africa.

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Starring Josh Duhamel, Elisha Cuthbert and Mel Gibson, Bandit is the real-life story of U.S.-born bank-robber Gilbert Galvan (played by Duhamel), who in the late 1980s won himself the title of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渇lying bandit.B次元官网网址�

Living under the alias of Robert Whiteman B次元官网网址� theoretically a successful courier of stocks and bonds B次元官网网址� the boyish and personable Galvan lived a comfortable middle-class existence in Pembroke, Ont. with a wife, Andrea (played by Cuthbert) who had no inkling of his real occupation.

Galvan, who loved to fly first-class out of Toronto on his B次元官网网址榖usiness tripsB次元官网网址�, always travelled with a little extra luggage B次元官网网址� two handguns and a multitude of easily-shed disguises.

After descending on some other Canadian city, the canny bandit would pull off one or two slickly-executed bank jobs before calmly boarding another jet for the return flight, with a briefcase now full of cash.

In a notably non-violent three-year career B次元官网网址� which included robbing banks in 15 cities B次元官网网址� Galvan was believed to have raked in a cool $2.3 million.

But his downfall began when he encountered charismatic strip club owner and jewel-fancier Tommy Craig (played by Gibson) who had a reputation as one of OntarioB次元官网网址檚 biggest fences of stolen property.

Given the outrageousness of the true events, thereB次元官网网址檚 a comedic element to Bandit, Wenman said B次元官网网址� which places it in a similar territory to other true crime B次元官网网址榙ramediesB次元官网网址� such as Blow and Catch Me If You Can.

Directed by Canadian Allan Ungar, and shot in the early summer of 2021, Bandit also reverses the usual film industry practice of Canadian locations filling in for the U.S. by having U.S. locations (in and around Thomasville, Ga.) fill in for urban and suburban Ontario.

Part of the reason for that is that it was easier to put together financing in the U.S. B次元官网网址� after the initial COVID lock-down B次元官网网址� than it was in Canada, Wenman told Peace Arch B次元官网网址.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been an adventure. We shot 21 days in Georgia, a day in Ottawa, then a day in Los Angeles and itB次元官网网址檚 finally come all together. ItB次元官网网址檚 getting harder and harder to compete with studios for theatre (space), so weB次元官网网址檙e stoked to get 100 screens in America and everywhere B次元官网网址榦n demandB次元官网网址�.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been on the phone with director Allan Ungar every day reviewing every shot, alternate take, and itB次元官网网址檚 definitely been a labour of love to bring to the screen this true Canadian story thatB次元官网网址檚 actually set in a Canada for once!

Helping the production process was the fact that Ungar has a photographic memory, Wenman said.

B次元官网网址淗e ended up knowing the script better than anyone, which helped us shoot 163 scenes, with 918 camera set ups/shots in just 21 days, not including the second unit camera department B次元官网网址� luckily our crews in Georgia, L.A., and Ottawa could work the long hours at lightning speed.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 really they that deserve all the credit.B次元官网网址�

But giving the film its B次元官网网址渉eartB次元官网网址�, Wenman said, were the cast, who bonded as an effective team.

B次元官网网址淛osh was not only suave, but hilarious at improv, which you will see in his performance. And Elisha, playing the heart, hope, and conscience of the film, really helped ground all the madness of the real life story. At the heart of the film, itB次元官网网址檚 really a love story between Josh and Elisha with sayings and banter I stole from my own life.B次元官网网址�

A last-minute addition to the cast was Nestor Carbonnel, who brings a lot of energy and professionalism to the role of GalvanB次元官网网址檚 police officer nemesis, Wenman noted.

B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 like Michael JordanB次元官网网址� you just give him the ball,B次元官网网址� he said.

And Wenman said he really enjoyed working on set with Gibson, who brought a lot of his own experience as screenwriter and director to the project.

B次元官网网址淗e could really add to the lines and rework them on the page with me. Like JoshB次元官网网址檚 lines, for Mel we used the real-life dialogue of the real characters they were based on whenever we could. Like Mel saying, B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e got a doctorate thesis in streetB次元官网网址� which is so B次元官网网址榞angsterB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� and a completely real line.B次元官网网址�

And the real Galvan, who ultimately served time for his crimes, wasnB次元官网网址檛 far away from the project B次元官网网址� he actually appears in the background during several scenes in the movie, Wenman said.

After being introduced by Robert Knuckle, author of the book The Flying Bandit B次元官网网址� which, along with interviews by journalist Ed Arnold, became the basis of the screenplay B次元官网网址� Galvan and Wenman struck up a friendship almost immediately.

B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 doing well, a free man, whom I speak with almost every day,B次元官网网址� Wenman said.

B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 excited to show people the insane story that he lived, and enjoys the notoriety. HeB次元官网网址檚 in the background during the bar scenes alongside yours truly.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 hard to think that it all started with a nine-year-old me hearing the urban legend about it in Ottawa,B次元官网网址� added Wenman, who lived in the capital from kindergarten to Grade 6, while his late father, Bob, was serving in parliament as MP for Fraser Valley West.

B次元官网网址淚 lived maybe 10 minutes from the real-life bandit there.B次元官网网址�

Naturally itB次元官网网址檚 very gratifying for Wenman to see the project, three years in the works, come to fruition B次元官网网址� and he plans to take a large group of friends to the first, 7 p.m., showing at Colossus on Sept. 23.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 an exciting time to see your dream come true, a small independent film with heart going up against the big guys, much like Galvan did against the B次元官网网址榖anksters,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� he said.

And he has a message for aspiring filmmakers.

B次元官网网址淓veryone will tell you itB次元官网网址檚 impossible to pull something like this off,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淏ut anything worthwhile is never easy. And everythingB次元官网网址檚 impossible until it isnB次元官网网址檛. Your dreams arenB次元官网网址檛 going to follow you, so get out there, chase them down, tackle them, and slap them until they submit!B次元官网网址�

alex.browne@peacearchnews.com
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