Hollywood stars aren’t the only ones shining.

Vernon is garnering rave reviews as it hosts the filming of Distorted, featuring Christina Ricci and John Cusack.

“It’s a beautiful part of the valley and a beautiful city,” said Kevin DeWalt, chief executive officer of Saskatchewan-based Minds Eye Entertainment.

In fact, Ricci, best known for the The Addams Family and Sleepy Hollow, and Cusack, who was in in 2012 and High Fidelity, have been exploring the region.

“They absolutely love the city and they’ve been looking around on their time off,” said DeWalt, adding that Ricci took her son and husband to Kangaroo Creek in Lake Country.

Production began in Kelowna May 28 and shifted to Vernon this week.

Among the locations are Paddlewheel Park, Triumph coffee shop, the former Lavington glass plant and Vernon’s sewer treatment plant.

“It has a very interesting interior with all of the pipes. It’s very industrial,” said DeWalt of the sewer facility.

Filming in the Okanagan wraps up Monday and then post-production will move ahead. Disorted could hit the big screen in the spring of 2018.

On top of this, Minds Eye is moving ahead with a couple of other projects and locations are being considered now.

“Vernon and Kelowna will be the top of our list,” said DeWalt.

“The community wants us here, the city wants us here and we’re thrilled for the support.”

In 2016, Minds Eye Entertainment shot The Recall, starring Wesley Snipes, in Vernon.

The film crew works on Distorted in Vernon. - Image submitted by 5iveby5ive Media