'Canada's best kept secret': Film highlighting Sask. national park named finalist at Cannes World Film Festival

A Saskatchewan-made documentary is one of the finalists in the Cannes World Film Festival.

Wild Prairie Man, a film focusing on author and wildlife photographer James R. Page and his passion for Grasslands National Park, is a nominee for Best Nature/Wildlife Film and Best Indie Feature (low budget).

The film was created by Swift Current-based Overtime Studios.

George Tsougrianis, the film’s director, said he met Page in 2018 while working on another project. He got to hear about and see Grasslands National Park through Page’s eyes and the idea for the film was created.

“He just had such a wonderful perspective of what Grasslands was about that made me want to start coming down there on my own,” Tsourgrianis said. “Little by little, spending the time with James, I began to see the park in a totally different perspective.”

George Tsougrianis (left) and James R. Page on set for Wild Prairie Man in Grasslands National Park. (Photo credit: Overtime Studios)

Page said he was blown away when he first arrived in Saskatchewan from B.C. many years ago to explore photography opportunities,

“It knocked my socks off,” Page said. “I had no idea what was here. The graphic quality of the landscape, the amazing wildlife - I think it’s Canada’s best kept secret.”

He said Grasslands National Park is a place that feeds his soul.

“I truly feel at home in this part of the world,” Page said. “I would hope that [those who watch this film] would look at Saskatchewan beyond the cliches that people generally have about our province - that it’s flat and boring - which it isn’t. If it opens people’s eyes to a somewhat different perspective on this amazing place, that’s fine with me.”

Tsourgrianis said the film showcases one of Saskatchewan’s many interesting stories on an international stage.

“My hope is that more people do discover Grasslands National Park,” Tsougrianis said. “As James kind of points out in the film, Grasslands is the kind of place where you do really need to go out and venture into the park. It’s not the kind of place where you can drive through. You really need to get out of the car and walk the land.”

A photo of a bison in Grasslands National Park. (Photo credit: James R. Page)

The director said he’s still in shock over the nomination and the attention the film is receiving so far.

“You never quite know how these things are going to go. You hope that people are going to like what you’re doing, but until you actually put it out there you just don’t know,” Tsougrianis said. “It’s just truly amazing to see the kind of response we’ve gotten.”

The Cannes World Film Festival previews new films of all genres from around the globe. Nominees for the festival are announced each month and a final list of nominees will be revealed later this year.

Tsougrianis said if the film makes it far enough to be shown at the festival, he plans to buy a plane ticket and head to France.

Grasslands National Park is located approximately 340 kilometres southwest of Regina, Sask.