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Huntley firefighters featured in locally produced movie

Huntley firefighters will get their 15 seconds of fame when a locally produced film they were briefly featured in releases next year.

The faith-based film, “The Unmiracle,” is produced by Crystal Lake native David Wingate and written and directed by Andrew Papke, who grew up in Palatine. The story revolves around a young woman who is popular in high school and finds faith after going through life’s trials, and how a community comes together around a tragedy.

“A lot of the story is based on true events in our lives,” said Wingate who lost his sister to a drug overdose 12 years ago. “It’s very close to home. The main focus is finding God under real life, tough circumstances.”

The film crew shot footage last week at Huntley Fire Station No. 2 off Reed and Haligus roads.

More than a dozen firefighters participated while off duty. They were filmed putting on their gear, riding in a fire engine, and “firefighting” at a nearby house.

“We had our reserve rigs that we used,” Huntley Fire Protection District Deputy Chief Scott Ravagnie said.

Other shots were filmed at Huntley Village Hall and a funeral home in Crystal Lake, he said.

Wingate said Huntley fire and police departments have been extremely supportive, allowing the use of personnel, fire trucks and rescue vehicles.

“All of our people are Chicago-based for this feature,” Wingate said.

Final scenes of the movie will be filmed within the next two weeks at the fire department’s training facility off Ernesti Road and Coyne Station.

“They want to do some shots in our training tower with some live fire,” Ravagnie said. “We’re going to burn hay, straw and wood pellets.”

Wingate said he hopes to release the movie by the end of March, and showcase it at Christian film festivals in Los Angeles and Arizona.

“We would like to premiere it in the big, mega churches around the country,” he added.

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