Margaret Miller and Trevor O’Neill of Hideout Pictures, producers of the Nashville-based horror thriller “The Whistler,” are keen to get back to Columbia to shoot as soon as possible. “The Whistler” was their first time filming overseas, and it was an experience they would like to repeat.
Working with an all-Colombian staff “was definitely one of the best experiences I’ve ever had,” says Miller. “They were so hard-working and professional that they never took the word no. They were always like, ‘Sure, no problem, we’ll make it happen.'”
O’Neill described how when they arrived on set, they were amazed that the staff was able to build the entire set and provide power to such a remote location, even in the middle of the rain. “I kept asking, ‘How did you do this?’ They’d just laugh and say, ‘It’s nothing.’ We shot in the Amazon and sent our equipment to the raft. ”The production was relatively easy for them. I remember thinking, “Wow, I’d love to pit a Colombian crew against an American crew any day.” ”
The project, brought to you by Venezuelan writer-director Diego Velasco (The Zero Hour), has been in the works for about 14 years. They liked the film and agreed to fully finance it, and Velasco then introduced him to veteran producer Diego F. Ramirez of 64A Films (Dog Eat Dog, Killing Jesus) and signed him to handle production services.
In Whistler, Juan Pablo Raba (Narcos, The Dutton Ranch) and Diane Guerrero (Orange Is the New Black, The Lincoln Lawyer) play Sebastian and Nicole, who inherit a remote farm in the Venezuelan plains after the death of their only daughter, only to find that the farm has been taken over by a mysterious group that claims to communicate with the dead.
Desperate for one last chance to be reunited with her child, Nicole is drawn into their ritual and unwittingly unleashes the legendary evil spirit Whistler. That haunting whistle heralds death. The farther away a sound sounds, the closer it actually is.
Juan Pablo Raba in “The Whistler” Provided by: Hideout Pictures
They spent six weeks filming on location in Buga, a famous pilgrimage site near the salsa capital of Cali, where most of the dialogue was in English and about 20% in Spanish. Before that, they lived in Cali for about three and a half months, honing their Spanish and salsa dancing skills.
During production, O’Neal contracted a mild case of dengue fever and stayed in a hotel for several days. I was lucky that my first AD’s father was an infectious disease doctor, so we had daily video calls and he was able to diagnose his cases. “He came back on set 10 days later,” Miller says.
Even more exciting was how quickly we recovered our investment through Colombia’s CINA incentives. “We had a payback in six to nine months, which is unheard of,” Miller said.
Colombia’s CINA incentive (Audiovisual Investment Certificate), administered by Proimagenes Colombia, grants a transferable tax credit equal to 35% of eligible expenditures on audiovisual services in Colombia.
The film received a limited theatrical release in the United States through Vertical before hitting digital platforms. The Spanish title has been changed to the more eerie-sounding title “Poseído” (Possession). It will be released in September at CineColombia in Colombia, with other distributors also releasing it in Honduras, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia and many other territories. Cineplex will be responsible for overseas sales.
Whistler, courtesy of Hideout Pictures
