Nova Scotia’s Andy Hines lands J Balvin for film adaptation of his own music video

TORONTO — Grammy-nominated Canadian music video creator Andy Hines says he hopes his feature film directorial debut could be the first of several music videos adapted into big-screen stories.

The Nova Scotia filmmaker recently wrapped production on “Little Lorraine,” which marks the first cinematic role for Colombian reggaeton star J Balvin. The idea, Hines said, was borne from inspiration to make a great song into a movie.

“Songwriters are some of the greatest storytellers,” he told The Canadian Press in an interview Friday.

“I’d love to be adapting songs; that would be so incredible.”

“Little Lorraine” is inspired by true events that unfolded in a remote mining town that became a hub for cocaine smugglers during the late 1980s. But it also draws on the lyrics of “Lighthouse in Little Lorraine,” a song by Dartmouth, N.S., singer Adam Baldwin.

Hines directed the music video for that song in 2022 and said he used the footage to shop around a feature film version in hopes it would convince producers to jump on board.

Wango Films, which has offices in Los Angeles and Toronto, signed on to develop the project.

“Little Lorraine” also stars Toronto-born Stephen Amell, known for the superhero series “Arrow,” as an out-of-work coal miner thrown into the smuggling business and Hollywood actor Sean Astin from the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

Balvin plays an Interpol agent focused on chasing down the leaders of the drug ring.

The project wrapped production in late July after shooting for five weeks in Cape Breton, N.S., and a few days in Hamilton.

Hines has an established career in videos for big music stars, including several videos with Balvin.

In 2018, his work on “1-800-273-8255,” a song by Logic, Khalid and Alessia Cara that promoted suicide prevention, landed him a Grammy nomination.

He has also produced music videos for Missy Elliot, Keith Urban and Matthew Good.

Hines said he’s discussing ideas to develop three additional movies from Baldwin’s songs, while he sees potential for other music videos to have their universes expanded into feature films.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 23, 2024.

David Friend, The Canadian Press