Chatham’s old jail: the perfect setting for a 'classic slasher film'

Chatham-Kent wants in on the film making business The municipality is rolling out a new agency to help lure movie makers away from big centres like the GTA.

One filmmaker says Chatham’s old jail is the perfect setting for his next movie.

Daniel Turres of Pageman Productions is currently casting for the movie called “Fresh Meat”.

The budget for his movie is $1.2 million.

“This itself (the jail) looks like a multi-million dollar set,” said Turres Tuesday during an interview in a cell block. “We don't have to build this at all. So that's huge, huge savings to get the production value we deserve.”

Turres, who is originally from London recently moved to Chatham-Kent after learning the municipality is creating an agency to lure movie-makers to the region.

Called FLiCK - filming locally in Chatham-Kent - the office offers a range of services, “including location scouting, permit assistance, and access to local crews, talent, and equipment”, according to a news release.

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"Chatham-Kent is film ready. We’re beautiful, diverse, and have so much to offer the film industry," Mayor Darrin Canniff is quoted in the release.

Turres only discovered Chatham-Kent while he was promoting one of his first movies with a screening in town.

During that time, he met with the Mayor, heard about FLiCK and the rest as they say is history.

“I was surprised not only in that there's a prison here, but they have fantastic resources, accommodations, and a municipality that just wants to do whatever it takes to help you make your next production,” said Turres. “When you have that close hospitality and the resources of a professional entity to help you make something and that's really appealing.”

Turres describes “Fresh Meat” as a “blood spatter spectacle” with “spooky scary” scenes and “over the top thrills.”

They hope to be shooting in late September into October and then will use a local crew for post-production work.

He hopes to have the film “market ready” in early 2024.