Saskatchewan-based prodco Angel Entertainment has begun production on The Invincible Sergeant Bill, a short film based loosely on the story of Canadian World War I mascot/goat Sergeant Bill.

The 17-minute short is set in small town 1980s Saskatchewan and retells the tale of Bill, a goat smuggled to the front lines of WWI where he is gassed, comes under enemy fire and eventually decorated for saving the lives of three men by headbutting them back into a trench just prior to a shell explosion. History repeats itself in the film, as a goat saves the life of a suicidal young man by pushing him out of harm’s way. The push sets into motion a series of events told throughout the short film.

Angel Entertainment was co-founded by Bob Crowe and producer Wally Start. Its credits include Big Muddy and The Other Side.

Financing for the $100,000 project came initially from the CBC’s independent short film showcase series Canadian Reflections, which was a sufficient amount to trigger funding via the 30% Saskatchewan All-spend Production Grant. The remainder of the financing came from Angel Entertainment and its partner production and post house, Bamboo Shoots.

The film stars Richard Harmon (Continuum, The Killing) alongside Laura Abramsen, Len Solomon, Dawn Bird, Kristina Hughes and Aaron Hursh. The producers were able to secure Harmon as the lead through the most reliable channel possible – they asked his mother, who is a friend of Crowe and Start.

Saskatchewan was the obvious shooting location of choice as the story given Angel Entertainment is based there, said Start. Filming takes place in three locations: a house in Saskatoon, a river bank on the grounds of the University of Saskatchewan and in the small hamlet of Demaine.

The target audience for the film is young adults, said Start, and the purpose of the production is also to give the Angel team a chance to work on a larger production.

The plan is to send the film on the festival circuit during 2016, after which it will air on CBC’s Canadian Reflections in 2017. Beyond that, Start said Angel Productions would also be open to the idea of turning the short into a feature-length picture.

The film is executive produced by Bob Crowe and directed by Saxon Geoffrey de Cocq III, alongside Start who serves as the film’s producer.