Pole with Paula premieres in September
Would you take up pole dancing if it meant saving your business? That’s what four co-workers do in Pole With Paula, a new feature film from local Calgarian Janie Fontaine.
The plot sees Celeste, Cynthia, Jackie and Mary try to save their beauty loft from going bankrupt by entering a pole dancing competition that could win them $10,000.
With the help of Paula — Celeste’s roommate and a professional pole dancer — the four gal pals aim to master the art of pole dancing in two weeks to save the beauty loft.
Fontaine — who wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the film — says the underlying message of the film is to “never give up, no matter what it is you are doing.”
Filmed all over Calgary, this comedy has something for everyone, Fontaine says.
“It’s hilarious if people like to laugh and it’s really light. It’s for everybody. It’s not porn, there’s nothing sexual about it,” she jokes.
Fontaine, who studied math in university, tried her hand at producing and filming to kill some time as a stay-at-home mom. She eventually realized she had found her true passion.
Pole with Paula was produced on a budget of roughly $200. The sequel being produced in 2015 will have a budget of at least $20,000 thanks to sponsorship dollars.
Photo courtesy of Janie Fontaine
Fontaine had a friend who was a pole dancer, sparking her interest in the fitness workout. She eventually decided to make a movie on the topic.
Although the lack of money was holding her back, she decided to go for it because her “dream cast” were all available.
Pole with Paula has been filmed sporadically over two months, with scenes captured at locales such as Cowboys Casino and the Pole Junkie studios.
Although she had to cut some things from the script due to the small budget she was working with, Fontaine decided to split the film into a series.
“There were some things while I was writing and filming that I wish I could have done but was unable due to the budget, but because of the sequel I can incorporate all the things I wanted,” she says.
Pole With Paula was filmed with a budget of roughly $200.
A sponsor has donated $20,000 for the sequel, which will be out in 2015. Fontaine is keeping the identity of the sponsor a secret until the premiere of Pole With Paula. She is hoping to raise a total of $50,000 before filming starts in April 2015.
Fontaine says the production process for the sequel will go a lot smoother, especially with sponsorship dollars coming in.
“All we needed is for that one person to believe and invest in us to get more people to listen.”
Pole With Paula will premiere at Cowboys Casino. Visit polewithpaula.com to find out the official premiere date.