A local filmmaker had to find a new way to make his movie due to COVID-19

The film industry has been hit hard by the pandemic this year with major Hollywood productions being slowed due to COVID-19, and the same is true for local filmmakers in the community.

Lance Karasti, a life long Duluthian, has made three feature length films in Duluth. Each film was funded through regional grants and community crowdfunding.

He started planning his newest feature, Hel, over 2 years ago. Those plans had to change, though, after the pandemic began.

"It was gonna feature multiple characters spanning like a road trip across America. It was gonna be this huge ambitious movie, and once the pandemic happened, I realized I had to scale everything back," Lance said.

To limit the number of people involved, Lance completely changed his movie to make him the only actor in the film. He is also working as the only crew member on the film.

Though making the film by himself is far more challenging, it was important for him to still make his movie, especially during a time where at home entertainment is needed more than ever.

According to Lance, "There is a void in entertainment, and what every single person in the world is doing right now is combing through streaming services and trying to find that. So, I feel that if you're an independent filmmaker, you have a real opportunity to stand out and to provide people something they need during this time."

To finance his work, Lance received an emergency relief grant through the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council and another grant through the Minnesota State Arts Board.

Lance is about half-way to completing his film.

To watch a video report of this story and more articles, follow this link to the KBJR-TV website.https://kbjr6.com/2020/11/27/a-duluth-filmmaker-finds-a-creative-way-to-make-his-film-during-the-pan...