Production has begun in Regina, Saskatchewan on family feature A.R.C.H.I.E., produced by Trilight Entertainment.

Eighteen months ago the film’s writer and director, Robin Dunne, pitched the idea of a “robo-dog” feature to producer and long-time collaborator Shayne Putzlocher of Trilight. The subsequent drafts of Dunne’s script ended up being named after an Artificial Robotic Canine Hyper-Intelligence Experiment – a.k.a. A.R.C.H.I.E.

The film centres on the friendship between a young girl, Isabel (played by Katharine Isabelle), and A.R.C.H.I.E., a military-built dog with special abilities. The movie picks up with Isabel moving to a new town to live with her uncle. Soon after arriving, she befriends A.R.C.H.I.E., who has escaped his creators and is living in the same town.

Starring alongside Katharine Isabelle (Ginger Snaps, American Mary) is Robin Dunne (Sanctuary Space, Milkshake), Fred Ewanuick (Corner Gas, Just Friends), Farrah Aviva (Bates Motel, Swindle), Sarah Desjardins (Into the Grizzly Maze, Clue) and Jonathan Whitesell (The Unspoken, The Hollow).

The majority of the film’s $1.2 million budget is being funded by private equity through the film’s coproducers Clairwood Capital, while the remainder is being financed through tax credits, says Robin Dunne. Filming is scheduled to run until June 22.

Dunne says that the absence of the tax credit in the province was not a huge deterrent to filming in Saskatchewan.

“The province has hit on hard times because of the loss of the tax credit, but there are still amazingly talented people here – a huge proportion of our cast are local actors, and so is our entire crew,” Dunne told Playback Daily.

Double Dutch International will handle global distribution of the film.

Although Dunne believes the movie will appeal primarily to children, he wrote it with a family audience in mind.

“I also wanted to be cognizant of the fact that if you make a family film, parents are going to be watching the film too, and I wanted to make sure there was content, humour and a story that adults would be able to relate to as well,” he said.

Dunne attests to his love of ’80’s movies, and says that in A.R.C.H.I.E. he wants to make a “modern movie with a vintage, throwback feel.”

Also producing on the movie are Glenn Paradis, Sara Shaak, Joan Speirs, with executive production from Tina Bates, Jack Tunnicliffe, and Jason Moring.

The movie is expected to be ready for a spring 2016 release.