FishTale Soup comes to the table

despite minnowscule budget

It’s the tale of one of those little films that could. Writer/director Annette Mangaard’s first feature, FishTale Soup, has been in various stages of development hell for the last two years. On April 29, all that will come to an end when production kicks off for four weeks in an empty house in downtown Toronto.

At a strapping $350,000 (down from an anticipated $800,000 last summer), FishTale Soup’s biggest obstacle has been its diminutive budget, says producer Pam Davenport (of The Film Works). The agencies didn’t come onside (except for one round of development support from the Ontario Film Development Corporation), and Alliance Releasing, despite its long-standing interest and support of the project, in the end said it was just too small.

National Film Board producer Silva Basmajian has been behind the film from the beginning and, about six weeks ago, Citytv stepped in to provide that crucial cash to bridge development to production.

Mangaard’s romantic comedy is about a couple, late thirties, who’ve lost that lovin’ feeling. He’s a music therapist, she works at an animal shelter, and being childless is a big part of their problem. When an angel (in the form of a refugee) lands in their lives and moves into their home, miraculous things to start to happen.

Remy Girard (La Florida) plays the angel – a role that was possibly headed for Graham Greene last summer. Kathy Lasky plays the wife and John Jarvis is the husband. Also cast are Michelle Muzzi (Hurt Penguins), Marion Gilsenan, Michael Tait, Jennifer Podemski (Dance Me Outside), Carlo Rota and Maria Syrgiannis.

Now that Girard is signed, Davenport is going to be looking for a Quebec distribution deal. She is also determined to get a deal with a theatrical distributor, and hopes Cori/Film Works will distribute internationally.

dop Phil Burnshaw (Liberty Street), on his first feature, is shooting on Super 16.

Former cbcer Carol Hay is story editor, production designer is Bill Layton and production manager is Siobhan Chambers. Editor is Boyd Bonitzke (Sam and Me).

The nfb is coproducing with Mangaard and Davenport. City has bought tv rights. Davenport says they are on the lookout now for Canadian composers to put together an original score.

Mob scenes

The Boys of St. Vincent director John N. Smith moved back to Toronto in February, after completing the Michelle Pfeiffer pic Dangerous Minds (what used to be My Posse Don’t Do Homework).

First up on the helmer’s agenda is Sugartime, a feature about mobsters in 1950s Chicago.

Production starts May 8 and continues through the end of June with Toronto standing in for 1950s Chicago.

dop is Pierre leTarte, who also did Dieppe and Dangerous Minds with Smith.

Starring in the lead as mobster Sam Giancana is John Turturro. The other lead character, Phyllis McGuire (one of the singing McGuire sisters), has yet to be cast.

Executive producers are Martyn Burke, who also wrote the script, and Gale Anne Hurd. Producer/line producer is David Coatsworth. Production designer is Barbara Dunphy. Claire Hewitt and Diane Kerbel are casting in Toronto. The movie is set to air on hbo in the States. A Canadian broadcaster was not signed at press time.

Smith wouldn’t talk about the project; he’s superstitious that if he spills the beans about the production before it’s finished he may jinx it.

L’Ecuyer’s Charm

John L’Ecuyer, award-winning short filmmaker (useonceanddestroy), recent Ryerson Polytechnic University grad and reformed heroin addict, is launching into production on Curtis’s Charm, his first feature. The film is adapted from a Jim Carroll short story about two guys – one a recovering junkie and the other still a user.

L’Ecuyer’s former drug habit is not a source of idle gossip, it’s something he says has played an instrumental role in his work.

When L’Ecuyer decided to option the rights to the nine-page Carroll story last year, he says, ‘As a recovering heroin addict, it felt like a suit I could put on without being a fraud.’

The feature stars Keith Callum Rennie (Double Happiness) and Maurice Dean Wint (Rude) and features Rachael Crawford (When Night is Falling).

Production started in Toronto April 18 and continues through May 1. Harald Bachmann (Save My Lost Nigga Soul) is shooting the 16mm black-and-white film.

L’Ecuyer says part of the film will have a documentary feel. ‘It’s a very gritty city story portraying the underbelly of Toronto,’ he says, ‘and it follows Carroll’s story, which was an honest transcript of conversations he had with people on the street.’

L’Ecuyer is writing, directing and editing. Sandra Cunningham is producing. The Canada, Ontario and Toronto Arts Councils are supporting the project.

Electra-fying

Director/producer Julian Grant is starting up on Electra April 24 in t.o. He calls the $1 million feature an erotic sci-fi thriller and a special-effects extravaganza.

It’s about a boy with superhuman powers who is hunted by a bad guy intent on ruling the world. The villain uses the boy’s stepmom (played by Shannon Tweed) as a pawn in the game. The other leads have yet to be cast, and Grant says he’s going after Canadian talent. Marjorie Lecker is casting.

Coproducer is Helder Goncalves and writers are Lou Aguilar and Damian Lee.

c.o.r