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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, September 2, 2016 | 20 John Bkila Sub-Editor jbkila@oakvillebeaver.com Oakville native Gillian Wetherald starring in Go Fish movie Film screening at The Royal Cinema in Toronto next week Sept. 6-9 and 11 Artscene "Connected to your Community" Rocky Keller and Oakville native Gillian Wetherald (right) star in Go Fish, a feature film screening at The Royal Cinema, 608 College St., Toronto Sept. 6-9 at 7 and 9 p.m. and Sept. 11 at 4, 7 and 9 p.m. To the left is a movie still of the pair and above, the pair gaze over a Muskoka lake. | photos courtesy of Mister Oliver Productions by Julia Le Oakville Beaver Staff Gillian Wetherald has always had an admiration for film and acting. Movies, she described, had a way of captivating her attention, as did the opportunity to stand in front of a room and get lost in telling a story. But it wasn't until high school that she really started looking at it as a career. The Abbey Park High School graduate who now lives in Toronto said hearing encouraging words from her teachers really helped her have the confidence and courage to pursue it. "It was especially in Grade 9 when I had this amazing English teacher," she described, noting how she remembers him telling her she had something special that she should explore. "Hearing someone have faith in you means a lot to a 15-year-old." The 26-year-old went on to perform in all the school plays she could, including Love, Death and the Prom in her final year at Abbey Park. The production earned the cast a spot in the Sears Ontario Drama Festival, a showcase of the best high school performances across the province. Wetherald explained her high school hadn't been a part of the drama festival for nearly 10 years, something they were all very proud of achieving. "I was such a shy kid and I think I started to come out of my shell," she said, noting how playing lead roles helped boost her self-esteem. Fast forward to present time, with a few films such as Myrtle the Turtle (2014) and My Bloody Bachelorette (release date still to be determined) under her belt, Wetherald is starring in Go Fish, a feature film screening at The Royal Cinema, 608 College St., Toronto Sept. 6-9 at 7 and 9 p.m. and Sept. 11 at 4, 7 and 9 p.m. The drama comedy, financed by Mister Oliver Productions Inc. and produced by Incubator Studio, tells the story of a young lady who is struggling with the death of mother and the loss her privileged life. Wetherald, who plays the lead, describes how her character Erica goes through a complete upheaval of her life. While trying desperately to cling onto her old life, she forgets what matters most to her. "A lot of us do that. We have a really hard time with change and so we try to hold onto who we once were," she said, explaining why she loves the story. "A lot of this movie has to deal with, as hard as it is, just letting go, moving on and dealing with that immense loss." Wetherald continued it was an enjoyable experience getting to play a character that is aggressive and commanding. "I'm almost the opposite of that in a sense that I tend to be more polite," she said. "I tend to be more of a team player than take the lead on something and tell people what to do." But that's the beauty of acting, Wetherald continued, noting how everyone has these kinds of characters within themselves and it's just a matter of tapping into them. Sometimes at the perfect moment, a loon would fly by in the shot and you'd hear that majestic sound in the background. There were a lot of moments where it felt like, and I know this is going to sound maybe hippy dippy, but it felt like the universe saying again, this is fate. This is meant to be. You're exactly where you're supposed to be right now. Gillian Wetherald Actor Wetherald also described the production experience as one that helped her -- and others in the cast -- grow as an actor. With her father David Wetherald as executive producer, and the film written, directed and produced by Incubator Studio's Brett Heard, it was not only a platform for her to showcase her talent in a professional setting, but also a chance for the whole cast to make its mark. She noted how the project came together at a time that just felt like it was "meant to be." Working with Incubator Studio, she described how the process gave the cast members a chance to really bond and develop their characters over the course of six months. During filming as well, things just fell into place, she described, noting how often times you're just handed a script and you're left to do the job. "Sometimes at the perfect moment, a loon would fly by in the shot and you'd hear that majestic sound in the background," Wetherald continued. "There were a lot of moments where it felt like, and I know this is going to sound maybe hippy dippy, but it felt like the universe saying again, this is fate. This is meant to be. You're exactly where you're supposed to be right now." Go Fish was filmed over two weeks in Gravenhurst last September and has been selected to screen at the Muskoka Independent Film Festival, Oct. 20-22. The film also had a private screening held at the Royal Cinema in Toronto in June. $1 from each of the tickets sold at the upcoming showing at the Royal Cinema will be donated to The Coping Centre, which provides support for those coping with grief. For tickets, visit www.theroyal.to.