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Kelowna actress debuts in movie shot in Okanagan

Shanelle Connell stars in ‘A Wedding to Remember’
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Shanelle Connell is from Kelowna, British Columbia. (Contributed)

Kelowna actress Shannelle Connell is set to make her debut in the upcoming release of the TV movie A Wedding to Remember, filmed onsite in the Okanagan Valley by Reel One Entertainment.

West Kelowna natives were able to catch a glimpse of the action over the summer as TV-crews filmed at the Cove Lakeside Resort on the shores of Gellatly Bay on Okanagan Lake. The production was the first in Canada to film under new strict COVID-19 protocols.

The romance-comedy, a made-for-TV movie, casts Connell as Frankie, who offers some best-friend advice to star Cristina Rosato (Olivia Owens), and Calgary-born actor Greyston Holt as Brian Wolf, Olivia’s love interest. Directed by David Strasser, the comedic romance finds Olivia and Brian on opposite sides of a development project. They have to put their feelings aside to save their best friends’ wedding.

“We look forward to seeing this romantic movie of the week that was filmed entirely in our beautiful Okanagan region,” said casting director Angela Quinn.

“Many local actors and background performers will be excited to see themselves on TV.”

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The lakeside resort not only offered a stunning backdrop for the movie wedding, but a safe refuge for the production crew as the Okanagan film industry became a model for movie-making in the post-pandemic world.

“We worked with Work Safe BC to create protocols for the industry, and the Okanagan became the first region in Canada ‘to go to camera’ during Covid,” said Okanagan film commissioner Jon Summerland. Newly hired health and safety organizers facilitated personal protective equipment and sterilized the set before and after crew members arrived for shooting.

“It was an honour to be a part of one of the first productions to start up after Covid,” said Connell.

“Acting has been my dream since I was young, so witnessing everyone working together to keep all of our ‘Hollywood’ dreams alive was really special.”

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Daniel Taylor
Reporter, Kelowna Capital News
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