Vancouver: Good news out of Victoria July 14 for documentary producers: it’s now easier to access Film Incentive b.c., the provincial domestic tax credit.

The province has waived a requirement for documentary producers to spend 75% of their total budgets in b.c. in order to qualify for the tax credit. Since the provincial tax credit was announced in April 1998, documentary producers have also been exempt from the requirement to have 75% of all principal photography happen within the provincial boundaries.

The changes reflect the reality of the documentary production – stories take the producers all over the world, which affects where they shoot and spend their budgets.

‘b.c. is a leader in Canadian documentary production and this change will support further growth in this sector,’ says Rob Egan, ceo of funding agency British Columbia Film.

Despite the previous budget headache – which launched the effective lobby effort by the documentary-minded b.c. chapter of the Canadian Independent Film Caucus – documentary titles represent 70% to 80% of the titles receiving provincial funding through British Columbia Film. The value of the province’s documentary production in 1998 is $17.4 million, according to the b.c. Film Commission.

‘This is great news for b.c. documentary producers,’ says Cari Green, a producer with Nimpkish Winds Production and co-chair of the b.c. chapter of the cifc. ‘The viability of documentary productions depends on filming locations all over the world and Film Incentive b.c. is key to our success in an increasingly competitive industry.’

Among the recent documentaries from b.c. are Champions of the Wild (series from Omni Film), Monarch (Asterisk Productions), Today is a Good Day: The Life and Times of Chief Dan George (Eagle Eye Films) and A Place Called Chiapas (Canada Wild Productions).

*Sister ‘Blue’-mail

One-time actor, theatre producer and talent agent Matt Huson is now a local producer-for-hire and is shooting his second small budget Canadian production of the year.

Sister Blue is a psychological thriller about one sister who blackmails another about secrets of a family tragedy. Written and directed by Vancouver playwright Doug Greenall, the film stars local actors Claire Lapinskie and Stacy Fair as the dueling sisters. Production runs until the end of July.

Producers hope to premier the film at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Another blue-titled movie preceded the thriller. Little Boy Blue – described as a character-driven road movie about a bunch of guys – was in front of cameras earlier this spring and is currently in postproduction. Written by Aaron Pearl and directed by David Gonella, the film features Pearl in the lead role and minor celebrities Adam Beach (Smoke Signals) and Sebastian Spence (First Wave) in smaller roles. The producers will submit the film to the Sundance Film Festival in hopes of a debut there.

*The harsh & the sparse

With so much production in Vancouver, there is not a crew or fragment of gear left to be had. Yet, despite this crush, two new high-profile u.s. series are starting up.

The latest Chris Carter series, Harsh Realm for 20th Century Fox, stars Scott Bairstow, D.B. Sweeney and Max Martin in a near-future story about history and reality. Production begins July 29 and runs to Apr. 2000, audience numbers willing.

Seven Days, meanwhile, started July 21 and wraps on or about Apr. 13. The second season of the sci-fi story, about the hero who travels back in time to right wrongs, is a UPN/Paramount project which shot last year in California.

Jonathan LaPaglia heads the cast.

*Roadie movie

The team at Vancouver’s Boneyard Productions (makers of the necrophilia feature Kissed) is on tour with the singer Sarah McLachlan and the performers of Lilith Fair, and will produce a documentary television special for WIC Television.

Kissed director Lynne Stopkewich and producers Jessica Fraser and Dean English reprise those roles for the Lilith Fair project, which involves filming at more than 30 cities on the tour.

The documentary will apparently take a comprehensive look at the Lilith Fair phenomenon with up-close looks at the audience, the crew and the performers. An airdate is not yet set.

*Horses and humor

Janine McCaw, an independent distributor in Vancouver with Dark Horse Ent., has acquired the domestic and international rights to Tracking Stolen Horses by Edmonton’s Dinosaur Soup Productions. Narrated by Donnelly Rhodes, the 60-minute piece is about the search for two stolen dressage horses.

Dark Horse is also handling international distribution for Stand Up Safari, a one-hour comedy special. Produced by Victoria’s Pan Productions, Stand Up Safari showcases the talents of comedian Johnny Johnston against the backdrop of a wilderness safari.

*Notice board

* The deadline for Telefilm Canada’s annual Kickstart program for emerging filmmakers is Sept. 7. Kickstart, sponsored in part by the Directors Guild of Canada, offers five western Canadian filmmakers $10,000 each (and a mentor) to produce a short film.

* The fourth annual Sea to Sky Film Festival will take place at the Eagle Eye Theatre in Squamish on Sept. 16 and 17 and is currently open for submissions. All recently produced films or professional quality videos are eligible to enter. Submissions in the comedy, drama, documentary and experimental categories must be shorter than 30 minutes in length. Deadline for submissions is Aug. 30. There is no entry fee. Call (604) 898-5930 or apolo@mountain-inter.net for info.

* Live action casting director Lana Carson has branched out with the opening of Voicebox Production Inc., called a ‘complete voice production services’ company for animated projects. Since opening in March, Voicebox has worked with the second season of Ed, Edd & Eddy (aka Cartoon), D’Myna League (Studio B) and Lion of Oz (Cinegroup/Sony Wonder).

* Avenue Music/Sound Kitchen, twinned music companies in Vancouver, were among the winners at the recent PROMAX awards, taking away the International Gold Medallion Award for their audio post-production of a non-promotional animation. The gig was for producer Lawrence McDonald at Vancouver Television and his Thursday Movie opening sequence.

* Standing Up (Fast Forward Productions) – Vancouver-based Elizabeth Walker’s documentary about divorce, courage and stand-up comedy – has been selected for screening at the Montreal International Film, TV and Video Market, from Aug. 27 to Sept. 7, during the Montreal World Film Festival.

The program – about Vancouver stage director Brenda Leadlay who turns to a course in stand-up comedy after her marriage falls apart – airs on Vision TV Aug. 2 and 7.