Transcona coming to the silver screen

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This article was published 14/03/2014 (4469 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Transcona-set novel is going to make the transition to the silver screen.

Jon Paul Fiorentino’s 2009 debut graphic novel Stripmalling, which follows protagonist Jonny as he dreams of becoming a graphic novelist while working at a gas station in a strip mall, was optioned by local company Farpoint Films. The company made the announcement in a release on March 5.

Fiorentino, 38, now lives in Montreal, teaches creative writing at Concordia University and serves as editor-in-chief of Matrix Magazine. He and Katrina Best, a Canadian-British screenwriter, worked together on the screenplay.

Throughout the process, Fiorentino was inspired by the 1985 John Cusack movie Better Off Dead…, which features drawings coming to life. Since Stripmalling is primarily set at a gas station, he doesn’t feel its graphic novel elements will be overly challenging to work into the movie.

“It’s (a transition of) animation into real life,” Fiorentino said. “There’s nothing spectacular, since it’s set in a strip mall.”

Fiorentino has been working to bring Stripmalling to the big screen since 2010, and is glad to see progress is finally being made. He noted the script will differ a bit from the novel in the sense that the novel paid tribute to that form, while the movie will work in more references to moviemaking.

Fiorentino appreciates the opportunity to work with a Winnipeg-based company in order to retain the city’s nuance in the movie. To demonstrate what he finds appealing about the city’s character, he recalled a time he was asked to write about Transcona hot spots. Fiorentino described five places in the neighbourhood he’d been beaten up. After the blog was published, he received an email saying “If I ever see you, I’m going to kick your (butt),” he said, enjoying the irony.

“Winnipeggers in general have a good sense of humour about themselves,” he said.

Through writing the screenplay with Best, Fiorentino feels he was able to learn how to tighten up his writing.

“I learned a lot about economy,” he said. “In a book, you have more room to explore.”

Executive producer Chris Charney of Farpoint Films said he is now looking to secure financing for the movie. He plans to attend the American Film Market — the largest independent film market in North America —  in November in Santa Monica, Calif. in an attempt to secure some cash. There is currently no established timeline for the movie’s completion.

“These things tend to take time, so to turn it around in a couple years would be a miracle,” Charney noted. “It takes four to five years for a Canadian movie (to be made). “The thing we have going for us is that it’s already been in existence for three years, so maybe we’ve gotten some of that out of the way.”

Charney added he’s thrilled to add a Winnipeg-set movie to Farpoint’s roster.

“I thought it was a natural fit to try to bring it back to Winnipeg and make it here,” said Charney, who envisions the film will draw on influences ranging from Napoleon Dynamite to Art School Confidential. “The drawn graphic novel element to the novel can inform the style for the director.”

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