Exploitation Thriller 'Venari' Sets Richmond, BC Shoot for Summer 2026 With Writer-Director Taylor Sukert

A lean, high-concept action thriller is gearing up for a tight summer shoot in Richmond, British Columbia, and working professionals in the Vancouver-area film community will want to take note now. 'Venari,' a feature film written, directed, and produced by Taylor Sukert, is currently in pre-production with cameras set to roll July 6 through 11, 2026. The production is actively in casting, which means crew conversations are very likely happening in parallel. With a compressed four-day shoot schedule, department heads and key crew who want in on this project should be making contact soon.

The film centers on a gripping and visceral premise: an inmate is abducted during a prison riot, strapped with a camera, and dropped into a ghetto controlled by white supremacists and homicidal maniacs. Guided only by a voice through an earpiece, he must survive the most dangerous corners of humanity's underbelly while others around him have their own scores to settle. The logline draws clear stylistic lines to the exploitation and grindhouse traditions, blending the survival-thriller mechanics of films like 'The Condemned' or the original 'Escape from New York' with a found-footage-adjacent visual conceit suggested by the camera-strapped protagonist. Taylor Sukert is serving as the sole credited writer, director, and producer, a triple-threat arrangement that typically signals a deeply personal, tightly controlled creative vision. Details on Sukert's prior feature credits are not yet widely documented in major trade sources, but the scope and confidence of this project suggest a filmmaker ready to make a significant independent statement.

Monika Dalman Casting is the production company of record on this project, with casting directors Monika Dalman and Ashley Perry Wood both attached. Dalman and Wood are active in the Vancouver and broader Canadian independent film market, and their dual involvement signals that the casting process is being treated seriously and methodically even within the constraints of a micro-schedule shoot. For talent agents and actors in the Vancouver market, this is a direct point of contact. The exploitation and action genre lends itself to physically demanding roles that could be compelling additions to a reel, so representation and self-submitting talent alike should be watching for breakdowns through the appropriate channels.

Richmond, British Columbia is a smart and practical choice for a production of this scale and genre. Nestled immediately south of Vancouver, Richmond sits within the broader Metro Vancouver production zone, one of the most film-infrastructure-rich regions in North America. The area benefits from British Columbia's generous film and television tax credit programs, which continue to make the province one of the most cost-effective places in the world to shoot. Richmond itself offers a diverse range of urban, industrial, and residential locations that can convincingly stand in for American inner-city environments, which is almost certainly the visual world 'Venari' is building. Stage facilities including those associated with the broader Vancouver studio ecosystem are within easy reach, should interior shooting be required. The region has an exceptionally deep local crew base across virtually every department, meaning production is well-positioned to staff locally without importing talent from out of province.

Given the four-day production window and the exploitation thriller genre, this is clearly a lean, fast-moving shoot built for efficiency. Productions of this type prioritize a tight, experienced crew that can execute quickly under pressure. The genre itself implies specific department needs worth flagging: a strong stunt coordinator and stunt team will almost certainly be required given the action and survival-thriller mechanics, and the found-footage-inflected camera concept (a character physically strapped with a camera) suggests an interesting DP challenge that may favor someone comfortable with unconventional rigs and guerrilla-style shooting. The crime and exploitation genre also tends to lean on a capable art department to dress locations convincingly, particularly when portraying a gritty, dangerous urban environment. The compressed schedule all but guarantees that hiring decisions are being made quickly and in parallel with casting, so the window to get on this crew is narrowing as summer approaches.

For those looking to pursue this opportunity, ProductionList.com has the full listing for 'Venari,' including production contacts, office details, and scheduling information. Whether you are a local Richmond or Vancouver-based crew member looking for a summer feature credit, a stunt professional with action-thriller experience, or a DP drawn to unconventional visual challenges, this is the moment to reach out. Check the listing now and bookmark it for updates as the production moves deeper into pre-production over the coming months.

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