Shadowland: The Legend – Poster
SHADOWLAND: THE LEGEND
– is based on the stage production Frank, Big Baba and Forty Thieves, written, directed, and produced by Johanna Kern, who later adapted the story for the screen, as well as directed and produced it under the After Rain Films banner.
SYNOPSIS: Frank (13) and his sister Caroline (16) accidentally get transported to the mythical Attic Town in a world of mystery, adventure, and intrigue: Shadowland. The land is ruled and robbed by The Great Syndicate, and while scary Shadows kidnap anyone who is out after dark, the Patrolling Thieves make the daylight miserable for everyone. Not realizing that they have shifted in space and time, the siblings split, while looking for directions. Frank meets Donlore, a young Patrolling Thief, and trusts this shadowy figure despite his first instincts. Caroline finds herself on a farm outside of town. She soon sets on a journey to find her brother and help him realize his mistake. She has to find him before dark. When the night falls, he will remain one of the evil rulers forever and there will be no way back. In the meantime, the underground opposition of Attic Town begins to revolt.
With its visual effects, and a large cast of hundreds of actors, young performers, professional martial artists, and extras, the film became an unusually big production for an independent film in the fantasy/family genre. The Shadows were played by dozens of high-profile martial artists, including members of the Canadian martial artist team. The film took several years in post-production, and Visual Effects took 4.5 years to complete.
Over 80 minutes of the original score for the film was composed by Romuald Lipko who has written over 250 hit songs for many famous European pop stars and also is renowned as the leading composer for the Polish music band Budka Suflera, which is still topping the music charts for over 40 years. Two other composers participated in the creation of the music for Shadowland: The Legend, also members of Budka Suflera: Piotr Kominek and Lukasz Pilch. One of the musical pieces written by Romuald Lipko became the film’s main theme song, also titled Shadowland: The Legend. Johanna Kern wrote the lyrics, and Lukasz Pilch performed and recorded the song. The song was played on over 30 English and French language radio stations across Canada and is also available worldwide on iTUNES in the POP MUSIC section.
The film’s cast members are all Canadian talent, including first-timers as well as seasoned actors. Nathan Pidgeon (Frank) and Agnes Podbielska (Caroline, Frank’s sister) are both first-timers to film. Donlore, a Patrolling Thief who takes young Frank under his wing, is played by seasoned actor Andrew Guy, who has had roles in a number of feature films including The Rhino Brothers, Cooler Climate, Man with a Gun, Kissed and Intersection (with Richard Gere), as well as notable television guest appearances on Sliders, Highlander and others. The film also stars Mark Whelan (Revil), who is the face of the Sleeman™ franchise and has performed in such films as Pompeii, For God and Ulster and Love and Savagery. Vieslav Krystyan plays the role of Centres, leader of the underground opposition. Krystyan, a seasoned actor, has performed in numerous feature films and TV series including Fugitive Pieces, 54, Darkman III, Nikita, The Shrine, Soul Food, Relic Hunter, PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, among others.
Shadowland: The Legend was picked up for Canadian distribution by Entertainment One. The film was first released across Canada on September 4, 2012 as VOD on Rogers, Shaw Cable, Sasktel, MTS, Google Play and iTUNES. The USA release date: July 23, 2013 on iTUNES, Amazon, Google Play, Hulu, Fandor and Big Start.
Together with the British author Roy Fitzimmonds, Johanna Kern wrote a novel based on her original story, also titled Shadowland: The Legend. The novel was published in the U.S.A. by Humans Of Planet Earth Assn. and received two awards: runner-up at the San Francisco Book Festival 2013, and honorable mention at the New York Book Festival 2013. The paperback and electronic editions are available worldwide via Amazon and other retailers.
Main Theme Song From the Movie – Music Video:
Official High Definition Trailer:
Shadowland: The Legend – Book Trailer: