New women’s prison comedy to film episode in Niagara
Former Niagara Falls resident looks for winery to film at in September
A former Niagara Falls resident is bringing a new series she developed for Bell Fibe TV1 to Niagara for one episode.
Developed by transgender filmmaker Lisa Crawford, “Pink Is In” is a comedic take on the women’s prison genre, set in Hamilton. Filming is expected to start in September, and Crawford is seeking a Niagara winery to film portions of an episode in which two convicts escape and are looking for treasure.
Crawford says part of the production agreement with Bell Fibe is to have a regional setting, “and what better place to feature than one of these beautiful wineries in Niagara?”
Born in South Africa, Crawford spent seven years in Niagara Falls as a casino consultant and owned a vending machine business before making the leap into film production in 2017.
“Basically, I said I want to follow my childhood dream. I sold the vending business, sold my house, moved to Hamilton.”
After landing a few small roles, she started making her own short films, which led to the sixepisode deal with Bell Fibe TV1. The channel focuses on community programming and is available through On Demand to Fibe TV subscribers.
Unlike recent women’s prison shows such as “Wentworth” and “Orange is the New Black,” “Pink Is In” goes straight for laughs. It follows the dysfunctional staff of a privately owned women’s correctional facility in Hamilton. Between the inept administration and the eccentric inmates, Crawford says it’s a throwback series.
“It’s going to be done in the style of the ’70s and ’80s British comedy.”
The cast includes Elley-Ray Hennessy (“My Little Pony”) as the prison warden and veteran Canadian actress Margaret Lamarre as a former ’70s film star. The show’s co-creator, K.A. Lombard, stars as the prison’s CEO, while Crawford is among the cast of inmates.
Crawford says she thankfully didn’t have to build a prison set.
“We’re using Hamilton Film Studios, which happens to have some prison cells. Apparently, they were used when they were filming ‘The Hardy Boys.’ ”
Crawford is hoping a Niagara winery comes forward to sponsor the show, and in return will be featured in the escape episode.
“We have a very interesting storyline with the winery.”
Crawford expects the episodes to be completed by December and begin airing in early 2021.