SPOKANE, Wash. — The 96th Academy Awards nominations are creating a buzz in the Inland Northwest, thanks to a film with strong regional ties.
“Train Dreams” has been nominated for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Original Song.
The independent film was shot with scenes from Spokane, Colville, Tekoa and Chewelah.
The film is based on the novella of the same name and tells the story of a logger and railroad worker who leads a life of depth and beauty during the 20th century. It has been available on Netflix since late November.
Morgan Ashley from NonStop Local KHQ spoke with ‘Visit Spokane’ about the potential tourism impact the film could have on the area.
‘Visit Spokane’ believes that people will travel to their favorite film destinations, citing “Benny and Joon” from 1993 as an example of a major film shot in Spokane. They claim that if “Train Dreams” wins an Oscar, it could attract people curious to explore the Pacific Northwest.
“We want to see more projects filmed here and of course to see our historic architecture of downtown and to see Medical Lake and to see the beautiful rolling mountain sides of Eastern Washington, we think this is the best area of the United States so why not film here, we’d love to have more films and bring more money into Eastern Washington,” said Visit Spokane CEO and President Rose Noble.
If the film’s popularity grows, ‘Visit Spokane’ plans to create a digital experience for visitors, marking the locations where the film was shot so everyone can enjoy the sights.
