Contributed Photo: An independent movie will shoot scenes in Downtown Safford and out in Klondyke this week.
By Jon Johnson
GRAHAM COUNTY – The filmmakers behind the independent movie “To Hell and Gone” were looking for “Nowhere, Arizona” and they found it in Klondyke.
The ranching community west of Safford will be home to the major action scenes in the movie, which is a spaghetti western about a crafty drifter who crosses paths with a gang of thieves.
The movie’s action starts at a home southwest of Tucson, where the robbers are chased to a nearby airport. They then flee with a captive and eventually find themselves in Safford.
According to the location reel, scenes will be shot in the Thriftee Food & Drug parking lot as well as well as El Coronado Restaurant. The restaurant will be closed to the public during shooting March 15-16.
The film will also feature a foot police chase scene down the middle of Main Street in Downtown Safford before heading out for its multiple shots in Klondyke, including Eden’s Ranch. The chase scene will take place Friday and will start from El Coronado and go through the intersection of Main Street and 5th Avenue, according to Safford Police Chief Joe Brugman. The scene will only briefly hold up traffic at the intersection during filming, and a couple of Safford’s finest will get their cameos in the chase. From there, production will move to the Stargazer 5 parking lot before wrapping in Safford.
Kyle Moore is serving as director/writer/editor/producer for the project, which stars and is also produced by Carr Cavender, an Arizona native with family who live in Klondyke. Cavender studied theatre arts at the University of San Diego. Seven other men and three women round out the cast.
