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Okotoks native takes on film competition

A Calgary actor who got his start in the Comp’s Mainstage program is vying for a $50,000 prize.

A Calgary actor who got his start in the Comp’s Mainstage program is vying for a $50,000 prize.

Josh Bertwistle is among a team of actors and filmmakers that was awarded $10,000 to film their pilot web series Mega Crimes Unit by Telus’ funding program STORYHIVE.

Fifteen finalists from Alberta and 15 from B.C. were selected to produce a full web series. The winner from each province, which will be announced in August, will receive $50,000, plus career training, mentorship and distribution opportunities.

Bertwistle got his start in acting at Foothills Composite High School in the late ’80s when he and his friends auditioned for Grease in Mainstage’s first year.

Bertwistle enjoyed the experience so much that he enrolled in film school and landed a job directing, editing and writing videos for Calgary-based Channel 10.

“For some reason I thought acting was not a legitimate career choice and film directing somehow seemed more reasonable,” he said. “Then I turned 33 and thought, you know what I want, to be an actor. It never left me. That’s when I showed up back in Calgary at the Loose Moose Theatre.”

During the last nine years, Bertwistle has performed for Alberta Theatre Projects, Loose Moose Theatre Company, The Kinkonauts improv group and Dirty Laundry.

He has loved every minute of it.

“The most exciting thing is when you’re up there you are part of something bigger,” he said. “Sure, there’s a certain part of you that is drawn to the attention, but then you realize that it’s so much more than that. The community coming together, the energy in the room.”

It was through his connections with The Kinkonauts that Bertwistle became a part of the Mega Crimes Unit team, led by Calgary filmmaker Darren Harmon.

The story is about a police chief, a rookie and a lead detective nearing retirement — who should probably repeat police academy — and they solve crimes no one else wants to solve, said Bertwistle.

“We got the scenario,” he said. “The dialogue and characters were all improvised. One of the strengths of this project is not only that the actors are good at improvising characters and dialogue and making you care about them, but also that Darren is good at capturing that because that’s not easy to do.”

Bertwistle plays the police chief.

“I’m pretty hard on them and they push back with either their attitude or their irreverence and then I push back at that and it’s an antagonistic, but friendly relationship,” he said.

The characters and improvisational components will remain the same, Bertwistle said they will create a different storyline for the seven to 10 minute piece required by STORYHIVE.

They will shoot it in Calgary later this month.

“I’m excited to get back to work with these amazing improvisers and performers and I think it’s another reminder that it’s a viable option, it can be a career choice especially with the financial support,” he said.

Bertwistle acted in the STORYHIVE web series that won the Alberta prize last year. He said the program is a great opportunity for Alberta actors and filmmakers.

“It’s made a big difference for me and a tonne of my friends that are in this program,” he said. “I’ve either been involved with them directly or had friends that benefited from these programs and alternate funding models. I could name probably 15 people in my circle of friends who has really benefited from that support.”

STORYHIVE senior manager Jonas Woost said the three-year-old program offers multiple opportunities for people in the film industry to compete for grant money ranging from its web series to music videos.

“Our mandate it to support emerging filmmakers… to give back to the community that we live and work in,” he said.

“We all love the American shows, but we need to make sure that we foster local talent and make sure we can build a sustainable industry in Alberta. It’s absolutely critical to our community and our entire economy to foster that local talent.”

STORYHIVE has provided grants to more than 100 projects in western Canada since its inception in 2014.

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