Stolen movie equipment recovered

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This article was published 17/11/2021 (493 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A filmmaker is rejoicing after a stolen trailer full of equipment needed to make a comedy movie about a heist has been found.

Stu Stone, director of Vandits, said Wednesday the abandoned trailer was found Tuesday by Winnipeg police. Production on the feature film started Tuesday, despite the equipment being stolen sometime overnight Monday from a city residence.

There were no cameras in the trailer, but there were camera mounts, lighting equipment, and dollies for tracking shots, he said.

“I haven’t seen it myself, (but) I heard some of the gear was still in there,” said Stone, a filmmaker with almost four decades of experience in the industry, starting as a child actor.

“The truck is long gone — we probably won’t be seeing that again.”

Vandits stars Tony Nappo (Four Brothers, Saw II, IV and V, CBC TV series Strays), and features singer/actress Jann Arden (CTV series Jann).

“Even with all this insanity going on, we managed to film our first day and it went extremely well,” Stone said. “We will go back out and do it again (Wednesday night). That’s what we came here to do and the show will go on.

“But it’s insane. The truth really is stranger than fiction. Today (Wednesday) is also my birthday, so I guess I got my wish.”

Stone said Winnipeg police are investigating three other possible crimes related to the theft.

“Three different people claiming to have our stuff asked us for money to return it — all three turned out to be fake,” he said. “The police are now dealing with those cases.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca