Pipe Nation with Bonnyville actress set for release on Prime Video

An Alberta film production with a Bonnyville woman as the lead actress has been picked up by a major streaming platform.

Pipe Nation, which began production in 2020, was originally meant to be a television series, but has been repurposed to a short film and has been picked up on Amazon Prime Video.

Natallie Gamble, from Bonnyville, is the lead in the film, as it follows a single mother working in the oil and gas industry, amidst protests, debt, and a male dominated work environment.

“This is an incredible success for the province’s motion picture industry,” said director Raoul Bhatt.

“We persevered and continued to make art during the toughest time in history during the height of the pandemic. I am incredibly honoured to have the world see the beauty of Alberta with this much-anticipated release of this award-winning film.”

Set in the fictional town of Hardwell, the production was shot mainly in Sundre, but also features Edson, Lake Isle, and Edmonton.

The 54-minute film will soon be available for Canadian audiences.

It toured several independent film festivals and came away with awards from the Toronto Independent Film Festival and Vancouver Independent Film Festival.