Kelowna based entertainment company Visland Media announced it was embarking on its first original 13 episode series, Buskers.
Buskers is a travel series that showcases the performances and stories of street performers from around the world. Currently shooting in Panama and Belize, the crew will also visit Mexico, Poland, the UK, Israel, Cuba, the US, and Canada.
“This is exciting news not just for us, but also for the industry here in the Okanagan. We've worked for a long time to make this a reality and couldn't be happier,” said Visland CEO Alex Miller.
Visland Media is collaborating on the project with Igal Hecht and Aaron Mandel of Chutzpa Productions. Hecht is best known as the director of the critically acclaimed documentary The Sheik and for producing eight seasons of the docu-series Muzika.
“We're very excited to work with Visland on this project,” said Hecht, “and we have tentative plans to come to the Okanagan to shoot another project with them later this year. “
Filming will take place over the next six months in a variety of locations around the globe including Tel Aviv, London, and Panama City. Post Production will take place in the fall and Buskers is expected to premier in early 2017.
In addition to a number of domestic broadcasters the series has already garnered interest from at least one major US broadcaster. Visland anticipates that due to the global interest in the subject matter the show will ultimately air in dozens of countries around the globe.
Visland Media is a Television Development and Distribution company headquartered in Kelowna, BC. They are currently developing a slate of over 40 television projects and also represent the international broadcast rights of several television series and documentaries.
Chutzpa Productions is a Television and 250.878.4810. production company based in Toronto, ON. They have produced, directed, and edited documentaries and television series that have aired on CBC, the BBC, and Discovery and other major international broadcasters.