Grindhouse Thriller 'Venari' Sets Four-Day Richmond, BC Shoot for July 2026 Under UBCP/ACTRA ULB

A lean, mean grindhouse thriller is taking shape in the Greater Vancouver Area, and the hiring window is open right now. 'Venari,' a feature film from writer-director-producer Taylor Sukert and his production banner Feral Artisans, is currently in pre-production ahead of a tightly scheduled four-day principal photography run in Richmond, British Columbia, with cameras set to roll on July 6, 7, and 8, with a final shoot day on July 11, 2026. The production is operating under the UBCP/ACTRA Ultra Low Budget agreement, making this an accessible union credit for eligible cast and crew in the region.

The project comes from Taylor Sukert, who is functioning as a triple threat on 'Venari,' serving simultaneously as writer, director, and producer. For productions of this scale and genre, that kind of concentrated creative control is common and often signals a filmmaker with a very specific and committed vision for the material. The story follows an inmate who is abducted during a prison riot, fitted with a body camera, and dropped into a ghetto controlled by white supremacists and homicidal maniacs. Guided only by a disembodied voice through an earpiece, he must survive the most brutal corners of society's underbelly while those around him have their own scores to settle. The film is explicitly described as containing violence, nudity, and mature subject matter, placing it squarely in the exploitation and grindhouse tradition. Actors and crew considering this one should go in with eyes open: this is edgy, confrontational genre filmmaking by design.

On the casting front, two casting directors are attached. Monika Dalman and Ashley Perry Wood are both working the project, which for a production of this size and compressed schedule suggests the casting process is moving with intention and urgency. Actors in the Vancouver and Richmond area, particularly those comfortable with intense dramatic material and physical performance, should be reaching out to their representation now. Agents working with UBCP/ACTRA talent should be aware this is an active ULB session and flag it accordingly.

Feral Artisans is the production company behind the film. For crew researching the company, it appears to be a boutique or emerging independent banner, consistent with the kind of scrappy, auteur-driven production that the grindhouse genre has always attracted. The UBCP/ACTRA Ultra Low Budget agreement, which governs this production, is designed precisely for films like this: legitimate union productions operating at a lower budget tier, giving emerging filmmakers access to professional union talent while keeping costs manageable. That agreement caps budgets and has specific requirements around rates and working conditions, so crew should familiarize themselves with ULB terms before pursuing the gig.

Richmond, BC is a smart and practical choice for this kind of production. Located just south of Vancouver, Richmond sits squarely within the Greater Vancouver production zone and offers proximity to the full infrastructure of one of North America's most active production hubs. The region has a deep local crew base across all departments, strong stage and location options, and British Columbia's film and television tax credit program remains one of the most competitive incentive structures in the country, regularly drawing productions from the United States and beyond. For a low-budget production shooting only four days, the ability to tap Richmond's urban geography and surrounding industrial landscapes without expensive location fees or long travel days is a genuine advantage. The compressed schedule, just four days spread across a single week, means logistics will need to be airtight from day one.

Four shoot days is a demanding ask for a feature film, even a short one, and it signals that the production will likely run long hours and require a crew that works efficiently under pressure. Given the genre, a stunt coordinator and intimacy coordinator should be considered essential hires if not already attached, given the described violence and nudity. The exploitation-grindhouse aesthetic typically places heavy demands on the art department for gritty, textured environments, and the camera and lighting package will need to support whatever visual language Sukert is crafting around the body-cam conceit embedded in the story. A solid locations manager with knowledge of Richmond's grittier industrial and residential pockets will be a key early hire.

With filming still roughly five months out and the production currently in casting, this is the right moment for local department heads and crew to make contact. The UBCP/ACTRA ULB framework means this is a legitimate union production, not a student film or deferred-pay situation, and for crew building their credits in the Vancouver market, a well-executed genre feature under union terms is a solid line on the resume. ProductionList.com carries the full listing for 'Venari,' including production contacts, office information, and crew details as they are updated. If you are a UBCP/ACTRA member in the Greater Vancouver Area with an appetite for genre filmmaking and a tight, high-energy schedule, this one is worth your attention right now.

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