Vancouver: The b.c. film community now knows the team that will navigate the next few months toward a provincial tax credit. There is much goodwill being generated that the B.C. Tax Credit will actually come together for the next fiscal year, but we’ve been down this road a few too many times to be entirely optimistic.

If Allah be willing this time, Julia Keatley, b.c. chair of the cftpa; Crawford Hawkins, chair of the British Columbia Motion Picture Association; Michael Francis, chair of British Columbia Film; B.C. Film Commissioner Pete Mitchell; Susan Croome, gm of The Bridge Studios; Jerry Rutherford, chair of the B.C. Film Council; Alan Morinis, chair of the Film and Television Initiatives B.C. group (which started this whole project); and David Levi, president of the provincial government’s venture capital agency Working Opportunities Fund, will spearhead the bctc, expected to be unveiled at the Trade Forum in October.

They’ll meet all summer to write a ‘discussion’ or White Paper on the state of the industry. The goal, says scandal-plagued Culture Minister Jan Pullinger, is to develop a film industry ‘that leads North America in jobs and investments.’

However, it should be noted that we’re still waiting for the industry White Paper that was supposed to be written by this government in 1992.

-No lie

Storytelling kids’ series Tell-A-Tale Town is now before the cameras at u.tv’s studios with 65 new episodes. Produced by Lois and Herb Walker of North Vancouver-based Take Part Productions, the series debuted in 1992 and was renewed in 1995, since running in Canada on CanWest Global and ytv.

Since the Walkers started working in live-action children’s programming, they’ve produced 800 programs through six series.

-Koreans at the gate

Go-gettin’ independent producer Stephen Benoit has attracted the financial interest of Korea for a $400,000 English-language kids’ pilot called the The Underlings, about baseball-playing mice who battle evil in ‘non-violent ways.’

Benoit says he’s secured the first international coproduction with Aniworld Productions, part of a new film and multimedia theme park in Chunchon City.

Everything but key animation will be done in Vancouver.

Twelve dignitaries from Korea, including Aniworld Productions president Jae Y’el Shim, visited Benoit and his suppliers Barking Bullfrog Animation Studio (formerly Ian Freedman Animation), Pinewood Sound and Gastown Post on July 18.

In other news of an Asian nature, civt (Vancouver Television) has signed a deal with Beijing Television to provide footage of news events in China and Hong Kong.

-At home

The Indie Film Nights continue with Groomed by Trenton Carlson, Breaking Up in 3 Minutes by Alex Mackenzie and Ferocious, produced this year by the Vancouver Film School’s Foundation Film Program, most recently on view July 22. The next free screenings are Aug. 12 and 26. Info: 734-8339.

– Local party-boy producer Gavin Wilding premiered his latest mise-en-scene Stag at the Vogue Theatre in Vancouver July 12. You just know the stripper’s gotta die. Shot in New York for us$3 million, the ensemble cast includes singer Taylor Dayne, Mario Van Peebles and Andrew McCarthy.

Produced by Montreal-based Cinepix Film Properties in association with Rampage Entertainment and distributed by cfp, Stag premiered on hbo earlier this month and ‘will soon have worldwide theatrical release,’ states the official release. Wilding’s previous efforts netted genre-oriented Listen and The Raffle.

– Natterjack Animation’s work will be on display in August during the introduction to Cartoon Network’s Acme Hour, a series of classic cartoons.

The 12 intro spots amount to two minutes of animation.

– Forefront Entertainment ­ producer of Madison and The Adventures of Shirley Holmes (with Winnipeg-based Credo Entertainment) ­ is sponsoring a program called Summer on the Set 1997 for three high-schoolers. Lindsay Kiloh will be a publicity and marketing trainee, Morgan Cartier will be a production office trainee and Jessica Denning will be a grip/lighting trainee.

-New mailing coordinates

I’ve moved offices. For those who prefer postal service, please note my new address. Still c/o Verus Group, but now at 1101-1130 West Pender Street, Vancouver, V6E 4A4. Phone, fax and e-mail are all still the same.