A Kelowna filmmaker is getting his start with an artsy flick set to be released later this year.

Benjamin Musgrave, 21, is the final stages of making his debut film, a short musical called Late Harvest.

The Centre for Arts and Technology Kelowna graduate, who was the writer, director, and cinematographer, is hoping to premiere it during film festival season.

The process started in spring 2015, and over eight months of Musgrave’s life has been spent putting it together.

He described it as a story that will resonate with many people.

“In the most basic sense it's a story about the generations, a farm that's been in this family for generations and now it's to go to the youngest son, and the youngest son doesn't want that,” explained Musgrave. “He has other aspirations and ideas of what he wants to do with his life.”

Musgrave said he chose to do a musical because he thinks it’s an interesting genre to dive into.

“You can divulge plot points in certain ways that you couldn't in a drama or comedy,” he said. “You're sort of allowed to get away with more things, have a little bit more fun with them.”

Musgrave said he was also inspired with music to begin with, specifically ambient sounds that reminded him of open fields of wheat.

“Every project that I've done in the past started with music, started with hearing something and seeing images after that, and really the story comes after that,” he said.

It wasn’t long before they decided to film in Lloydminster, Alta., with the prairie sky and flowing wheat fields as a backdrop. Musgrave was born and raised in the area, and he said he still considers it home.

Within the year, Musgrave said they plan to release the film, in Canada and internationally, through the festival circuit.

It definitely involves putting himself out there, in terms of art, and more than that, but he said, “If we didn't try anything we wouldn't get too far.”

Musgrave funded most of the film out of pocket, but it’s something he easily justifies.

“Definitely a large part of it is my own investment,” he said. “But the way I look at it is, if you were to do anything, like go to school or start a business…there's an initial capital investment that needs to be made.

“This is mine.”

Musgrave said he isn’t really sure why he picked filmmaking specifically, but that he had an “insane need to make art,” and, “just the right amount of self-hate.”

“I knew I wanted to make art, in any form, and film, for some reason in my head, seemed like a feasible option as opposed to others, which is really kind of a silly because it's a difficult thing to do,” he said.

The star of the show is the Kelowna-born lead singer of The Newks, Austin Axenty. Axenty recently moved to Vancouver, but Musgrave already knew he needed the powerful voice in his project.

In a big way, the pair will be representing the Kelowna art community, bringing both music and film together.

Producer Natasha Howes, who is also an instructor at the Centre for Arts and Technology, said the film scene in Kelowna is vibrant and growing. It’s something she said they are happy to be a part of.

“We really are aiming for some big film festivals and big exposure, so in terms of being able to represent the talent in the area at some reputable international film festivals, it’s a very exciting time for us,” she said.

Howes stressed that the film has been a very Kelowna-based production, with help from the school. In fact, the cast is all from Kelowna.

On top of that, editing, sound design, and all the other post-production processes up to this point have been done within the area.

Some of the final edits will be completed on Friday and then they’ll be submitting it to the first film festival, something Howes said gives her a feeling she can’t explain, especially since the film has been such a feat.

“I think this is possibly one of the most ambitious home-grown movies here for the Okanagan in terms of aesthetic creative look and feel,” she said, laughing.

They are hoping to premier the film at Palm Springs International Film Festival in June, and will also be entering TIFF, the Vancouver International Film Festival, Berlinale and others.

Films that win awards in Palm Springs are handed over to The Academy for Oscar consideration, according to Howes.

After almost a year of dedication, and working through the night for a lot of it, Musgrave said he is already planning future projects.

If it goes well, he said they're lined up and planning to make an independent Canadian feature for cinema release.

Howes said Late Harvest is quite the way for Musgrave to launch his career.

“This is going to create a huge platform.”

For more on Late Harvest, like their Facebook page, visit their website and watch the trailer, below. 

Photo Credit: Late Harvest Film. Graphic Design: Steffanie Mackie.