Three Kamloops filmmakers are hoping to tell the story of the 20-year-old man who went missing from Sun Peaks back in February.
According to Ryan Shtuka’s mother, the men approached her a few months ago to explain they were interested in making a movie about her son.
Heather Shtuka said she met the men through fundraising efforts to find Ryan.
“We were struck how determined they were to tell Ryan’s story,” she said of her and her husband.
RELATED: A pause in the search for Ryan Shtuka
Russell Walton, Jared Featherstone and Allen McVicar have been making films together since they were 15-years-old. Now the team of three is applying to Storyhive, a project that helps B.C. and Alberta filmmakers with mentorships, funding and distribution with the support of Telus.
Walton, Featherstone and McVicar are pitching a 20-minute documentary that interviews the family of Ryan and those involved who have become dedicated to finding him.
“As it seems more and more likely that someone knows more than they are telling, these mountains have plenty of stones left to turn, and the valley holds a community still willing to turn them,” they state online.
Ryan went missing on Feb. 17, last seen leaving a house party on Burfield Drive at about 2 a.m. to walk a short distance home.
Police in Kamloops have called Ryan’s disappearance a ‘puzzle’.
“We’ve recently had our dive team out that were doing some examination along the creeks and that sort of thing,” Supt. Syd Lecky said. “That was the last update.”
RELATED: Police to meet with family of missing Sun Peaks man
The Kamloops filmmakers are hoping for an approved budget of $50,000 if they get enough votes online through Storyhive to make the cut.
Vote for the film by clicking here.
@Jen_zeejen.zielinski@bpdigital.caLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
