A film shot in Calgary, High River and Black Diamond will soon be featured at the Marché du Film in Cannes, France. 

Paul J. Chinook, the writer and an actor in the movie February's Dog explains it's about two friends and workers in the oilpatch who get laid off because of the downturn in the industry and the impacts it has on them.

"The film starts out with two guys working in the oilfield, Dale and Nigel, things are going good, they're planning out their lives and they get a mysterious call from their boss to come into the office on a Friday, they get there and they get told they're being laid off but 'Don't worry when the price of oil recovers in three months we'll hire you back,' again very familiar for a lot of Albertans," Chinook says

Chinook says life hits us no matter what we do and he wanted to use the film to prepare people a little better, to connect people with services, get them to connect with family and friends so a setback doesn't mean the end of the world.

The film was shot in areas very familiar to Chinook and to local audiences.

"Growing up in that area, Black Diamond, High River, Turner Valley, Okotoks, Calgary, that's always going to be home for me no matter what my mailing address is that's always going to be home, it's just such spectacular views, amazing people. It was interesting showing the trailer to people down here in the southern U.S. and their jaw just hits the floor when they see what we wake up to with the Rockies to the west of us every day they ask 'is that real?' and yeah, that's real," Chinook says.

He says crews make the film and the crews in Southern Alberta are second to none because of all the experience they've had shooting movies in this area over the last several years.

Before being shown in Cannes, February’s Dog will be screened for Calgarians first as a part of an evening supporting mental health. The film premieres at Canyon Meadows Cinema at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, 2022. 

Afterwards, guests can participate in a question-and-answer session with the actors. 

At 7:00 p.m., the festivities continue with a red carpet gala at the Calgary Petroleum Club with a Q&A and information session with Calgary Counselling Centre, MNP Debt and Matrix Labour Leasing.