I parked my rental car on a street in Regina’s Cathedral neighborhood on a crisp autumn morning, watching crew members hustle equipment into a charming brick-façade café. Steam billowed from coffee cups clutched by people wearing headsets, their breath visible in the morning air. It’s the final week of shooting for “One Perfect Date,” and despite the early hour, the energy on set is palpable.
“We wanted to showcase Regina as this undiscovered gem,” director Stephanie Mayer tells me as we step inside the temporarily transformed café. “Canadian cities often stand in for American locations in film, but we’re proudly setting this story here.”
The romantic comedy, starring Vancouver-born actress Melissa Chen and Toronto’s Daniel Odjick, tells the story of a dating app developer who finds herself living the same disastrous first date over and over again. It’s “Groundhog Day” meets modern romance, with a distinctly Canadian sensibility.
This production represents something increasingly rare: a Canadian film that embraces its setting rather than disguising it. According to a 2023 report from the Canadian Media Producers Association, only about 27% of English-language feature films shot in Canada actually portray Canadian locations as themselves.
“There’s this misconception that American audiences won’t connect with stories set in Canadian cities,” explains producer Rainna Kim, who grew up in Regina before building her career in Toronto. “But we’re seeing that authenticity actually travels well these days.”
The decision to film in Regina wasn’t just about authenticity—it was also practical. Saskatchewan’s Film and Television Tax Credit, reintroduced in 2018 after being scrapped in 2012, offers a 45% rebate on Saskatchewan labour. The program’s revival has gradually rekindled the province’s once-thriving film industry.
“When the tax credit was cut, we lost a generation of film workers,” location manager Trevor Harrison explains as we tour Wascana Park, where several pivotal scenes were shot. “People moved to Vancouver or Toronto. Now some are coming back, and we’re training a new generation.”
On set, I notice the mix of seasoned professionals and eager newcomers. Twenty-four-year-old Emma Cardinal, a recent graduate from the University of Regina’s film program, works as a production assistant, often putting in 14-hour days.
“I used to think I’d have to leave Saskatchewan to work in film,” she says during a quick break. “Now I’m working alongside people who’ve shot major productions. The mentorship happening here is incredible.”
The production employed over 120 local crew members and injected approximately $3.2 million into Regina’s economy during its six-week shoot, according to Creative Saskatchewan, the provincial funding agency that helps administer the tax credit.
Beyond economics, the film captures something more ephemeral: Regina’s distinctive character. Cinematographer Jesse Woo, whose credits include work on several Emmy-winning series, found unexpected visual inspiration in the city.
“There’s this quality to the light here, especially in autumn,” he explains, reviewing footage on a monitor. “The wide-open skies, the way the sun hits the older buildings downtown—it gives us this warm, romantic palette that perfectly suits the story.”
The production utilized locations across the city—from the historic Hotel Saskatchewan to the trendy shops along 13th Avenue and the lush grounds of the Legislative Building. Each location appears as itself, allowing Regina to become another character in the narrative.
Lead actress Melissa Chen, whose previous work includes roles on “Transplant” and “The Good Doctor,” found herself charmed by the city.
“There’s something so genuine about filming here,” she says between takes. “When we shot scenes walking through the farmers’ market, those were real local vendors. They became part of our story. You can’t manufacture that kind of authenticity.”
For Daniel Odjick, whose Algonquin heritage has influenced his approach to storytelling throughout his career, the production offered a chance to portray romance through a distinctly Canadian lens.
“We’re not just copying American romantic comedy formulas,” he explains. “Our characters navigate cultural dynamics that feel true to this place. My character’s family runs a restaurant that specializes in fusion cuisine—Ukrainian perogies with Indigenous ingredients. That’s such a Prairie story.”
As Canadian cinema often struggles for visibility in a landscape dominated by American productions, “One Perfect Date” represents a different approach: embracing regional identity rather than erasing it.
The film is slated for a festival run beginning next spring, with distribution through a major Canadian streaming platform already secured. Producer Kim is optimistic about its prospects beyond Canadian borders.
“Look at what’s happening globally—Korean films winning Oscars, British series dominating streaming. Audiences are hungry for stories that come from somewhere specific,” she says.
As I watch the final scene wrap and the crew breaks into applause, I’m struck by the significance of what’s unfolding. This isn’t just a romantic comedy completing production—it’s part of a renaissance for Saskatchewan’s film industry and a testament to the value of Canadian stories told in Canadian settings.
When “One Perfect Date” premieres, viewers won’t just see a love story—they’ll see Regina as it deserves to be seen: not as a stand-in for somewhere else, but as a place with its own perfect magic.
