E.K. actor\'s star on the rise

At just 15, Ferron Guerreiro already boasts an impressive acting resume.

The most recent experience to make the list is the young East Kildonan-based actor’s role in the local feature film Black Field.

The historical and suspenseful drama is Guerreiro’s second feature film.

The dark-haired, blue-eyed starlet was no doubt the envy of many when she was cast as Harry Connick Jr.’s daughter in the romantic comedy New In Town, which also stars Hollywood actor Renee Zellweger.

A Grade 10 student at Miles Macdonell Collegiate who grew up in the West End, Guerreiro got another taste of the celebrity life while attending the premiere of Black Field at the Vancouver International Film Festival earlier this month.

Before boarding a plane to the West Coast with her mom for the event, Guerreiro was anxious to see the finished product after filming the movie this past spring in the town of Tyndall.

“I just can’t wait to see how it turns out. We don’t film in sequence, so I can’t wait to see how it all comes together,” Guerreiro said in an interview before the premiere.

Landing one of the lead roles in Black Field was challenging for Guerreiro, who had to learn to speak with a Scottish accent for the film and was forced to miss school during production.

“I basically missed a month of school. The teachers were really good about it, though. I had on-set tutoring,” Guerreiro said.

Black Field was written and directed by local filmmaker Danishka Esterhazy.

After years of shooting short films, including The Snow Queen, Esterhazy chose to try her hand at feature films with Black Field.

Inspired by the gothic novels of the Bronte sisters, Black Field is a dark tale of love, lust and tragedy. Set in 19th-century rural Manitoba, the story follows the lives of two sisters living alone on a family farm. They are never the same after a charming trapper arrives and comes between them.

Guerreiro plays younger sister Rose McGregor in Black Field, which is expected to hit theatres in Winnipeg next spring.

To prepare for the role, Guerreiro said she took on the persona of her character and wrote journal entries of what she might have been thinking.

“It was emotionally demanding. There’s a lot of drama in it, so when I went through the script, I started thinking how she would think,” said Guerreiro, who enjoys writing short stories.

Guerreiro has been studying acting since she was 10 including stints at the Prairie Theatre Exchange, the Manitoba Theatre for Young People and the University of Winnipeg.

She had lead roles in several productions while attending Sargent Park School, including Alice in Wonderland, Charlotte’s Web and Anne of Green Gables.

What some might consider a triple threat, Guerreiro acts, sings and plays the piano.

According to Esterhazy, the future looks bright for Guerreiro and other young actors.

“I think it’s an exciting time for young actors in Manitoba,” she said.

“When the American productions come to town, there’s great opportunities for young local actors to get roles in those films,” said Esterhazy, adding more U.S.-based producers have been crossing the border to film over the last several years as a cost-cutting measure.

The same goes for local film producers, Esterhazy added.

“Manitoba’s actually a great place to live for filmmakers because we have some great film crews and great agencies that support filmmakers,” she says.

As for Guerreiro, Winnipeggers may see more of the young talent in the future.

“I want to be an actress and keep doing what I’m doing. I want to make this a career.”