Christmas film shot in Maple Creek showcased at Regina's IMAX

Jeremy Drummond directed "A Cowboy Christmas" which was filmed in Maple Creek, Sask. (Hallee Mandryk/CTV News)

Regina's Kramer IMAX Theatre hosted a screening of a festive feature with a strong local connection on Sunday. A Cowboy Christmas was shot in Maple Creek, which was a point of pride for those involved in the production.

“The mayor [of Maple Creek] and everyone else just sort of opened up the community for us," Director Jeremy Drummond told CTV News.

Drummond was born and raised in Saskatchewan, and expressed how welcoming the community was to the whole cast and crew.

"It felt like being home and it was really, really nice. If you shoot in other jurisdictions, it's not always the same. So, it was really a great experience for everyone … and we had a couple crew members who were not from Saskatchewan and they couldn't believe the sort of homegrown hospitality," Drummond explained.

The film was made with support from the Saskatchewan Media Production Industry Association (SMPIA).

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SMPIA’s Executive Director, Robert Hardy, says the film plays an important part in the process of growing the industry in the land of living skies.

"There's a lot happening in Saskatchewan's film and television industry ... There's over 650 people working in this industry so far. There were 66 productions made in the past two years,” he said.

“It's over like $125 million that it's brought to the economy. This is a really cool business. That's fun. It's creating jobs."

The movie itself follows Ella Wade [played by Teagan Vincze], a marketing director from New York on an assignment to pitch a plan to a CEO who is vacationing in Maple Creek.

In the process, Wade falls for a charming cowboy, who calls the community home.

Sunday’s screening was sold out, which Hardy took as a good sign.

"We are thrilled by how many productions are happening in Saskatchewan over the past two years...this is a great example of the kind of thing that we're doing,” he said.

Drummond went on to express that being able to showcase the province's beauty, especially around the holidays, was something special.

"The horses, the way the land looks in that part of the hills,” he recalled.

“The fabulous crew that's here, the companies that are here to support that and the community. I think that's probably why it was so successful.”