Metchosin movie starring Jesse Roper ready for Victoria screening, international spotlight

Best Budz is a sci-fi comedy from the Metchosin-based Ragnarock Studios. The cast, including island music icon Jesse Roper, is made up of real-life buds who’ve come together in a collaboration of artistic abilities. (Ragnarock Studios)

An out-of-this-world movie filmed on Vancouver Island is set for the international spotlight. But before debuting around the globe, locals will have a chance to check it out in Victoria.

Best Budz is a sci-fi comedy from the Metchosin-based Ragnarock Studios.

It’s being touted as the West Coast’s answer to Trailer Park Boys, following a band of B.C. brothers and their half-baked schemes to save the family cannabis farm.

“I don’t want to give too much of the mystery [away] but lets just say three well-meaning but pretty dumb brothers get together and accidentally almost blow up the universe,” said Best Budz filmmaker Alexander Panagopoulos.

The cast, including island music icon Jesse Roper, is made up of real-life buds who’ve come together in a collaboration of artistic abilities.

“It literally is most of our best friends and they're all talented in a whole bunch of different things – music, film – and so we got lucky," said Panagopoulos. "Just a bunch of pros just decided during the pandemic to get together and, if the world's ending, let's make a crazy movie about it."

Best Budz is full of Sasquatch sightings, aliens, and witches with an emphasis on West Coast cannabis culture. However, the crew says you don’t need to use the drug to appreciate the movie's Canadian humour.

"There is so much else going on in this film," said producer and cast member Shannon Carman. "Even if you have never puffed on a marijuana cigarette in your life, you will still find so much in this film to enjoy and have fun with.”

The three-hour movie, filmed in Metchosin, has been accepted at more than a half dozen film festivals around the world.

Before the film makes its international debut, the cast and crew will hold a screening at the Vic Theatre on Thursday evening.

“This is really just a celebration for the film makers but also we wanted to give an introduction to Victoria. If it turns out people want to see this more we’ll put it in more theatres,” said Panagopoulos.