Filming begins in Union County for Bad Day for Bigfoot

A Bigfoot hoax gone wrong is now bringing cameras, crews and local spending to Union County, where Bad Day for Bigfoot is filming this June. The Eastern Oregon Film Festival says the production will put money into lodging, dining, hardware stores, rental shops, artists and tradespeople while also seeking local extras for scene work.

That matters in a county with 26,196 residents spread across 2,036.9 square miles of land, where even a modest production can be felt in ways a larger metro might barely notice. Union County is Oregon’s 16th-largest county by total area, and the festival’s update points to a shoot that could send immediate business to La Grande and surrounding communities as crews move through Eastern Oregon.

The film is the work of Zach Green and Devin O’Rourke, with Rafi Jacobs of Static Films and Christopher Jennings of the Eastern Oregon Film Festival listed among the producers. The project centers on a Bigfoot hoax that spirals out of control in the fictional Blaze County, a premise the festival has described as a mix of Fargo and Tremors.

The movie was already taking shape locally before filming started. On Oct. 15, 2025, Green and O’Rourke presented a staged script reading at Eastern Oregon University’s Schwarz Theater during the 16th annual Eastern Oregon Film Festival. Later that summer, they spent a week in Union County as part of the festival’s inaugural filmmaker field trip, scouting locations and meeting residents.

Green and O’Rourke said La Grande and Union County felt like a natural fit for the project, and the local response helped reinforce that decision. The festival has since framed itself as more than a once-a-year event, describing its year-round work as a way to spark local economic growth and support film production in the region.

The production is also still looking for local background extras, including small-town bar patrons and children ages 9 to 13 for summer-camp scenes. The festival asks participants to wear 1980s-friendly clothing such as denim and outdoor or camp-style outfits and to avoid visible logos and trademarks.

For Union County, the immediate payoff is practical: nights in local lodging, meals in area restaurants and purchases from businesses that serve productions as well as residents. The larger question is whether Bad Day for Bigfoot becomes a one-off shoot or another step toward making La Grande and Eastern Oregon a regular stop for independent filmmaking.