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ShareAbbotsford Alpine Motor Inn lit up by 'Fire Ball'
By Rochelle Baker - Abbotsford News
Published: September 05, 2008 2:08 PM
Residents of the Clearbrook area might have been flabbergasted to see a man totally engulfed in flames burst out of a room at the Alpine Motor Inn and fall to the ground before a police officer douses him with an extinguisher.
Earlier in the evening, gunfire had erupted at the Abbotsford motel on as police officers tried to capture a dangerous offender.
Apparently the bad guy that police and fellow FBI agents were chasing wields superpowers that allows him to throw fire.
Hence, the film's name: Fire Ball.
The film crew and production company - who also shot the movie Anna's Storm in downtown Abbotsford in February 2007 - took over the motel on Marshall road for one day.
Ryan Fehr, assistant location manager for film, said Fire Ball should be coming out on the Sci Fi channel in December or January.
"So keep your eyes open for it. You'll be able to see your lovely Abbotsford."
Abbotsford was a great place to shoot a movie, he said.
"We love Abbotsford. Everybody has been very accommodating.
People are great. We really like it here."
The City of Abbotsford has made efforts this year to make itself attractive to the film industry.
In January, council voted to allow companies to apply for a 12 month license to film in Abbotsford, reducing the “administrative burden” to encourage more productions in B.C.’s fifth-largest city.
The licences cost $260 a year and can be obtained online.
At present, the city charges production companies a $350 application fee and $75 for a one-off shoot in a particular location.
Abbotsford provides locations for between one dozen and three dozen films per year, said the city’s economic development manager, Jay Teichroeb in January.
“We have made great efforts to be a film-friendly community and this initiative is reacting to the film companies,” he said.
Another movie "The Thaw", a $5 million feature film starring one-time Batman headliner Val Kilmer, shot some of it's scenes at the campus of the University of the Fraser Valley in July.
The feature was co-produced by UFV alumna Mary Anne Waterhouse through her company, Anagram Pictures.
-with files from Joe Millican
