Movie set of an actor running as the crew records him running.
"The Hour After Westerly" filmed at The Fort Casey Inn.
Filmed on Whidbey Island, this award-winning short film is the story of a very precise man who mysteriously loses track of time and is presented with a mystery.

By

Laura Hilton

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

This movie is haunting, peaceful, and a bit of a mystery, just like where it was filmed.

Los Angeles filmmakers Nate Bell and Andrew Morehouse had a dream to bring “The Hour After Westerly” to life, a thrilling short story about the paths in life we might have taken. Originally published in the New Yorker in 1947, this Robert M. Coates story stayed with the creative duo a long time, and drove them to form their company Bellhouse Productions.

Never doing things by half measures, the pair decided to cast some big names and shoot on location in another state. With family ties to Whidbey Island, Bell knew just the place.

Watch the making of “The Hour After Westerly.”
Watch the trailer for “The Hour After Westerly”

The resulting short film is a gorgeously eerie tale, told on a backdrop of Central Whidbey locations and featuring the famous faces of Peter Jacobson and Shannyn Sossamon. If you were at WICA for last year’s Whidbey Island Film Festival, you may have met the filmmakers or seen them awarded the Grand Jury Prize for best short film. This is one of a collection of prizes Westerly has scooped up in the last couple years, as it tours the film festival circuit and navigates COVID-19 disruptions.

An actress is kneeling in a garden and two directors are instructing her how to play the scene.
Nate Bell and Andy Morehouse go over the next shot with actress Shannyn Sossamon. Photo: Wes Anthony/Firehouse Creative

Westerly has been selected for film festivals coast to coast, including three Oscars-qualifying festivals. After being nominated in eight different categories at FirstGlance, it took the honor of Debut Short Film as well as Best Actor award for Jacobson in the lead role (also nominated at the Burbank International Film Fest).

They’ve been selected for famous indie festivals like Julien Dubuque in the Midwest and WorldFest-Houston, where cinematographer William Hellmuth won another well-deserved award.

Places you might recognize in the movie

  • Fort Casey Inn
  • Coupeville Auto Repair – Coupeville
  • Phone Booth – Greenbank
  • Restaurant Exterior – Greenbank
  • Ebey’s Reserve
  • Fort Casey
  • Admiralty Head Lighthouse
  • Crockett Lake
Laura Hilton grew up on Whidbey Island and has since worked and traveled around the world, but this special place keeps calling her back.
Laura Hilton

Laura Hilton grew up on Whidbey Island and has since worked and traveled around the world, but this special place keeps calling her back.

Similar Posts

Art Class Escape

Art Class Escape

Arts Reading Time: 7 minutes

Whidbey and Camano Islands have several art schools where you can combine avacation getaway with a quality learning vacation.

People moving lights and other equipment while making a movie.

Island Movie Magic

Arts, Film Related, Happenings Reading Time: 3 minutes

Updated 2/21/23 Ever watch a movie and immediately want to go there? Maybe you’re so enchanted you even find yourself scouring the IMDB page, trying to figure out where this thing was filmed. All too often we’re disappointed to find it’s on a sound stage, or some beautiful location that’s too far-flung to reach. But…

Infographic poster showing the impact of art on Whidbey and Camano Islands

Your Inner Artist Will Be Inspired on Whidbey and Camano Islands

Arts, Happenings Reading Time: 3 minutes

[cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” separator_top_type=”none” separator_top_height=”50px” separator_top_inset=”0px” separator_top_angle_point=”50″ separator_bottom_type=”none” separator_bottom_height=”50px” separator_bottom_inset=”0px” separator_bottom_angle_point=”50″ style=”margin: 0px;padding: 0 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]Whidbey and Camano Islands provide a canvas for all things art. Blame it on the beautiful surroundings, the lush farmlands, verdant forests and forever seascapes. Or, blame it on…

Crew filiming The Hour After Westerly at The Fort Casey Inn.

Central Whidbey Locations Star in Short Film

Arts Reading Time: 6 minutes

“In my mind, ‘The Hour After Westerly’ and Whidbey Island are inseparable.” PRODUCER – DIRECTOR NATE BELL Yet another crew has wrapped up shooting on Whidbey Island.  This time, independent producers from Los Angeles finished principal shooting in Central Whidbey for the short film, “The Hour After Westerly.” The film stars Peter Jacobson and Shannyn…