For decades, Cliff Yates has made the daily trip, a 10 minute boat ride on the St. Lawrence, back and forth from the docks at Chippewa Bay to the island his family owns: Elm Tree Island.

The boat is like his car. But this summer, his island became a movie set for a flick you can watch on Amazon Prime Video and it’s perfect for those still in the Halloween spirit, a horror movie called "Devil’s Island."

What You Need To Know

  • Elm Tree Island, one of the 1000 Islands, is the setting for a horror movie on Amazon Prime Video

  • The island's owner, Cliff Yates, says the production was amazing to see up close and he could not believe how professional it was

  • Yates says anytime the 1000 Islands region can be highlighted and possibly attract new visitors, that’s a great thing

“There were crews and lights everywhere, moving boats around and a lot of scenes throughout the islands and through Chippewa Bay and it was just a great production and we were happy to be able to showcase the Island in such a way,” Yates said.

The movie is about is about a young woman who inherits an island from her grandparents, but finds out the locals are tying to hide a secret.

The crew, from New Zealand Son Films, was on the island for a little over a week, but worked about 20 hours a day, battling different weather conditions. For Yates, it was all a sight to behold.

“Just to see how they basically edit the shots together, learn how they’re thinking two or three shots ahead of what they’re actually doing and then to see later they knew exactly what sequence that they were going to film and how that interjected with the shots of the island,” Yates added.

While Devil’s Island is not a big blockbuster, it does highlight the island, the St. Lawrence River and the 1000 Islands as a whole, especially its versatility.

“A lot of people aren’t aware. When I say, 1000 Islands, they say where’s that? I’ve never heard of that. I have to explain to them the history of 1000 Islands dressing and where the name came from. They’re not aware of where this waterway is and where it comes from and where it goes past Montreal from the Great Lakes. A lot of people become fascinated with it and can’t wait to come up here and visit and see it for themselves,” Yates said.

And for the use of his island, Cliff got a pretty cool 'thank you:' a small part in the movie.

You can watch "Devil's Island" on Amazon Prime Video now. It's rated for viewers ages 13 and older.