Bill Lawson as Wild Bill prepares for his comeback. Photo by Jared Vas
In the heart of the Alberta prairies, where the sun meets the fields, a local film is being made.
Still in its early stages of production, Wild Bill is a mockumentary about passion, belonging and duality.
The project, with an anticipated release in summer 2024, is a collaboration between director and writer Tanner James and the namesake of the film and star, Bill Lawson.
In the film, Wild Bill was a famous musician akin to the likes of Bryan Adams.
However, at the peak of his stardom, he mysteriously disappeared.
The enigmatic star remained in the shadows until one day he was discovered in the small town of Taber in the background of a TikTok.
This video is discovered and sparks a crew to get Wild Bill back for one last show.
The film is not just about Wild Bill and music, but it is a love story to Alberta and its vibrant music scene.
Tanner James describes the film as the most unapologetically Albertan short film.
The two artists have worked together on multiple occasions.
The partnership is rooted in their equal fanaticism for each other.
“I’ve always said that if I was the grand architect of the universe, Bill would be famous. Simple as that,”
James praises.
Lawson has a similar appreciation for James’ way of doing things.
“He populates his projects with friends that he trusts and so is open to new ideas and the sharing of the experience. I have an abiding respect for and admiration for Tanner James and will be in any project he wishes.”
With the duos previous projects, being less than ten minutes Wild Bill aims be a longer film nearing the 40-minute mark.
As the filming process nears completion this fall and winter, James reflects on some of the moments he was able to capture.
“During our concert scene something magical happened. Wild Bill and the band put on the best show I’ve ever seen. It transcended our little movie and became something bigger, it was real. Bill won over the audience one by one and channeled the energy into a positive force. It was a spiritual experience, shared amongst great people.”
The character Wild Bill is loosely based off of Taber, Alberta, hometown hero Bill Lawson who is a trained thespian and musician.
Lawson is known for his work with New West Theatre and hosting southern Alberta’s largest free outdoor festival in Taber over 15 years in a row.
While there are some similarities, Lawson assures the film is far from a film biopic.
“The character Wild Bill and I share a name, an occupation, a geographic location and some philosophies, but our experiences leading us here are entirely different.”
Playing a twisted version of himself does come with its share of difficulties as admitted by the actor.
“The major challenge was figuring out how much Bill Lawson to allow into Wild Bill. As a real-life example: Bill Lawson loves playing music so during rehearsal scenes Wild Bill is a bit frustrated and jaded, when Bill Lawson was inside, grinning from ear to ear just being able to play.”
Months away from editing, the film already has a small but dedicated following.
On Aug. 21 this year, a Kickstarter went live asking for $2,500.
Within 20 days that goal was reached bringing the films shoestring budget to fruition.
Twenty five backers each pledged an average of $100.
James says independent film is a dying art and he aims to show a different side of Alberta.
Lawson praises the story as one of staying true to yourself, your community and your art whether prose, painting, pottery or poetry.
