Andy Hines from Nova Scotia hires J. Balvin to film his own music video

TORONTO – Grammy-nominated Canadian music video artist Andy Hines hopes his feature film directorial debut could be the first of several music videos adapted for the big screen.

The Nova Scotia filmmaker recently wrapped production on “Little Lorraine,” the first film role for Colombian reggaeton star J Balvin. The idea, Hines said, was born out of the inspiration to turn a great song into a film.

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

“I would love to adapt songs, that would be so incredible.”

“Little Lorraine” is inspired by true events that took place in a remote mining town that became a hub for cocaine smugglers in the late 1980s, but it also takes up the lyrics of “Lighthouse in Little Lorraine,” a song by Dartmouth, NS singer Adam Baldwin.

Hines directed the music video for the song in 2022 and said he used the footage to pitch a feature film version in hopes of convincing producers to get involved.

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

“Little Lorraine” also stars Toronto native Stephen Amell, known from the superhero series “Arrow,” as an unemployed coal miner who gets involved in the smuggling business, and Hollywood actor Sean Astin from the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

Balvin plays an Interpol agent whose goal is to hunt down the leaders of a drug ring.

Production on the project wrapped in late July after filming for five weeks in Cape Breton, NS, and a few days in Hamilton.

Hines has had a successful career in videos for major 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 advocates for suicide prevention, earned him a Grammy nomination.

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

The story continues

Hines said he is discussing ideas to develop three more films from Baldwin's songs, and he sees potential for expanding the universes of other music videos into feature films.

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

David Friend, The Canadian Press