Tim Long grew up in Exeter, looking forward to when he could leave the small town for a big city. And he did, he went on to get a job in Hollywood, adding many credits to his name including working as the head writer for the Late Show with David Letterman, and being a producer and writer for the Simpsons for over 20 years. But he never forgot his Exeter roots, which is what lead him to write a film loosely based on his high school years when his family took in an exchange student.
Long says that the film, called The Exchange, is mostly fictional, including the town it’s set in though he did base it off Exeter. The lead character, who Long based and named after himself, is the closest the film is to real life. Everything else is fictional.
Long says that over his entire career, he is the most proud of the fact that it hasn’t felt like a real job.
His relationship with Exeter has changed over the years, and since he’s left he realizes how amazing it is.
The Exchange was shot in 2019 in the Ottawa and surrounding area but COVID delayed the release of the film. It is set to be released on July 30th.
Picture Courtesy of Tim Long’s Twitter