L.A. Film Crew Wraps Up in Talkeetna

For the past four weeks, Talkeetna residents may have seen a film crew capturing scenes around town.  KTNA’s Colleen Love has this story…

20260810Halfway Nowhere

0:00

/142.99428571428572

1×

A Los Angeles-based film crew has spent the last month filming a movie in Talkeetna called Halfway Nowhere.  Finn Benischek, cinematographer for the movie, grew up in Talkeetna.  While studying in the film department at Chapman University in Los Angeles, he met Film Director Aiden Forte.

Forte wanted to make a drama-comedy about two brothers who get lost in the woods on the way to sell their elderly Father’s boat.  Alaska seemed like it might be just the right place to film that story. Part of the crew flew to Alaska in April, searching for locations as part of a scouting mission. Producer, Kaia Chapman says as soon as she arrived in Talkeetna, she knew it was perfect.

“Filming it in Alaska, Talkeetna specifically, takes the cake for this movie and that’s what kind of sets it apart from any other comedy-drama that you find.”

The crew made another discovery during that April scouting mission. They discovered a cast member… Talkeetna resident Willow Feeley.

“We were looking for one role, and I just loved her vibe.  It was our first time going to the Fairview and Willow was there performing with her band.  And she’s just like, so edgy.  We wanted to know more about her and so… that was kind of the essence of this character that we cast her as.  And so then we came here and we met with her and we’re like, “You don’t really have to act, you basically just have to be exactly the way you are.”  And it worked out well yeah.”

The production team wrote scenes into the movie that they filmed at the Fairview Inn and KTNA Radio. During the process, they also picked up a few other Talkeetna locals to be in the film.

“We closed down the Fairview and then a bunch of people who were at the bar just decided to stay and be in the movie. So it’s been nice to have a bunch of locals in the film.”

In addition to Talkeetna, the crew has filmed scenes in Willow, Trapper Creek, Petersville and Hatcher Pass.

The movie will star Braeden De La Garza, who appeared in the TV Series, Cruel Summer, Aidan Delbis who starred in the Oscar-nominated film, Bugonia, and Lucas Iverson who played James Ogilvie in the second season of the HBO medical drama, The Pitt.  

Halfway Nowhere will wrap up filming in Homer next week. The movie is expected to debut in the fall of 2027.

For KTNA, I’m Colleen Love