Two months ago, there was a bit of local buzz, about an alien walking through downtown Drumheller. There is no need to worry, it was just Benjamin Ross Hayden doing what he does best.
Many in the valley might be familiar with the work of Hayden. The Albertan Métis filmmaker wrote and directed Northlander, a sci-fi epic with heavy shooting in the valley. This was released in 2016 and was nominated for A Canadian Screen Award, and won a Leo Award and an Alberta Film and Television Award.
Since then, he has been working on two more science fiction features, the most recent to be released is Parallel Minds. It has its theatrical release in Landmark Cinema this fall and will be at the Napier on December 3.
While Parallel Minds is a much different film than Northlander, it too features scenes from the Drumheller valley and also follows a common theatric theme.
“Thematically all of them are chapters of a larger whole. Each of them explores a different topic of science fiction through an indigenous lens,” he said. “Select scenes were shot in the Drumheller area at the Historic Graham Ranch. Stepping back as an indigenous filmmaker from the prairies it is important for me to explore and tell stories in and of the many different landscapes that this part of North America holds.”
Parallel Lines is about the corruption of a revolutionary contact lens that happens when a strange murder in the near future takes place. An old school detective and an intrepid researcher stop a rogue artificial intelligence entity before it is too late.
The film has been entered in 17 international film festivals all over the world, will have primetime viewing on APTN, and they have also locked in an international distributor.
“It is incredible an indigenous film about Canada is making a nice international footprint out there and getting foot traction in the international marketplace,” said Hayden.
As far as the alien on main street, Hayden has wrapped up a third sci-fi feature called First Encounter which is slated to be released next year.
“The Drumheller Badlands were paired with a more rural Canadian back roads in my next featured film coming out next summer, an indigenous extraterrestrial science fiction First Encounter,” he said.
This film features Eugene Brave Rock from Wonder Woman. It has a budget of $3 million and is an interprovincial co-production between Alberta and Manitoba.

A tradition that spans over three decades in the valley will be taking a break this year.
Santa’s Annual Christmas Dinner started in 1983, simply as a way for folks to get together over the holiday, especially if they had no other place to go, with no restaurants open. The dinner provided a venue to enjoy a hot meal in the company of others.
It has since grown over the years and has become a tradition. At the heart of the dinner is getting together and camaraderie with friends and family. For the last few years it was held at Yavis Family Restaurant. However, with COVID -19 restrictions, organizers have decided to take a break for 2020.
“The essence of the dinner was to provide an opportunity to be with others on a holiday. However, with the challenges of this year, we just don’t want to be responsible for anyone getting sick,” lamented Kim Suntjens, one of the organizers. “Last year, we served 504 meals. It’s incredibly disappointing to not be hosting it this year, but the logistics and out of an abundance of care and caution, it is the responsible choice.”
Organizers are committed to this not being the end of the event and are planning to take it up again for Christmas 2021.