CASTLEGAR 鈥� After more than two years, the movie filmed in and around Castlegar B.C. is finally coming to a theatre near you this weekend.

Hollow in the Land starring Dianna Agron will be released on Friday, Jan. 26 across Canada including showings in Castlegar, Calgary, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Halifax, Montreal and Toronto.

The film will also be released on iTunes the same day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHxEWZYS5Lk

Castlegar native Scooter Corkle, who wrote and directed the film will be at the Castlegar opening at Kootenay Centre Cinemas on Friday night for the 6:45 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. showings. He will be joined by producers Jesse Savath and Marlaina Mah and editor Aynsley Baldwin.

After each of those showings, the audience will have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session with Corkle. The group will also be in and out of the Lion鈥檚 Head Pub to hang out with fans. There will also be some swag giveaways at the screenings including items such as backpacks and posters.

鈥淚 am really excited, but I am really nervous at the same time,鈥� said Corkle about his feelings leading up to the home-town reveal of his work. 鈥淭his is going to be the biggest screening the movie will have.鈥�

Hollow in the Land has already been shown at several film festivals and Corkle was able to sit with the audience during the screening at the Vancouver International Film Festival.

鈥淚t was the first time I felt like I was watching the movie again as a moviegoer instead of a filmmaker 鈥� which was nice,鈥� said Corkle.

鈥淵ou can really feel people reacting 鈥� when they are tense, you can feel the tension. When there is something for people to laugh at 鈥� you can laugh with them. I was just reacting with the audience for the first time since making the movie and that felt really good.鈥�

鈥淚 think this one [opening in Castlegar] is going to be even more so in that field. Giving back to everybody is going to be really fun.鈥�

But Corkle is looking forward to having the movie done and moving on to new projects.

鈥淏ecause I have been with it for so long,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut it is also going to be bittersweet. It is the last thing we look forward to, but it is the biggest thing in our lives.鈥�

For the writer and director, the opening marks the end of the film 鈥� but for moviegoers, it marks the beginning.

鈥淭here is no better place to do it than in the 鈥楪ar,鈥� added Corkle. 鈥淚 think people are going to freak out for it.鈥�

After several film festival screenings, Hollow in the Land received reviews in the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.

writer Monica Castillo describes the movie as 鈥渟et in a remote small town in Canada鈥� and compared the movie to the Jennifer Lawrence film Winter鈥檚 Bone, 鈥�This movie is not as tense, but it gets close thanks to Ms. Agron鈥檚 resolute performance and the movie鈥檚 hostile small town setting.鈥�

The called it an 鈥渆arthy Canadian small-town thriller 鈥� it鈥檚 a well-told story, with a strong sense of place.鈥�

The review also included praise of Corkle, 鈥淧lus, as someone who spent a decade working in crews of over two dozen low-budget productions, Corkle has a rare command of craft. His narrative is slim, but it鈥檚 delivered unpretentiously, with an understanding that a good cast and a vivid locale preclude any need to get flashy.鈥�

鈥淚t is a Kootenay movie 鈥� it feels like a Kootenay movie,鈥� explained Corkle. 鈥淥ne piece of feedback we got from everybody across the board was that it feels lived in. They really feel like they understand and have been to Castlegar after it鈥檚 done.鈥�

Watch for familiar landmarks in the film from Castlegar, Pass Creek, Thrums, Robson and Ootischenia.

If you had a hand in any of the local scenes 鈥� make sure you pay attention to the 鈥淪pecial Thanks鈥� at the end of the movie.

鈥淲ithout everybody that is going to that screening 鈥� that movie would have never happened,鈥� said Corkle. 鈥淥ur 鈥楽pecial Thanks鈥� is the longest 鈥楽pecial Thanks.鈥欌��

鈥淚鈥檓 hoping I didn鈥檛 miss anybody.鈥�

The movie will play at the Kootenay Centre Cinema for a week, if there is still a demand at the end of the week, the run may be extended.

鈥淲e are going to be there, it鈥檚 going to be fun, everyone should come,鈥� concluded Corkle.