The Nova Scotia production community is anxiously awaiting an announcement regarding the new ceo of the Nova Scotia Film Development Corporation, a replacement for Roman Bittman who was ousted by the corporation’s board of directors earlier this year.

John Chisholm, program administrator for the nsfdc, says a candidate has been chosen but an announcement won’t be made until the end of November.

Even the rumor mill is quiet on who the new chief may be. There was speculation that Robin Johnston, who will be leaving her position as executive director of the Atlantic Film Festival in January, would be a possibility, but Johnston has confirmed that she didn’t apply for the position.

Meanwhile, Kenzey McNeil, a board member with an extensive background in the arts community, has been named the new chair of the nsfdc board of directors, taking over from Marie Comeau, who still remains a board member. Four new members have been named to the board, which now numbers 12.

At the most recent meeting, the board committed $763,591 to 14 new Nova Scotian productions from 12 different companies and individuals with total production budgets estimated at over $20 million.

Among the recipients were Andrew Cochran Associates, Charles Bishop Productions, Imagex, Citadel, Red Snapper Productions, Zoo Films and Triad Film Productions.

Financial commitments were offered to two Imagex features, Divine Ryans and WritersBlock, and one short, Wharf Rat’s Bossa Nova.

tv series are Charles Bishop Productions’ Food tv and Citadel Films’ Celia’s Garden. Series pilots are Zoo Films’ Strange Moon, Micheal Kuttner’s Collections and Richard Zurrawski’s AfterMath.

The tv feature Undercover Agent, from Triad Films, and the tv special Atlantic Salmon, from Skerrett Communications, have also been slated for financing.

Docs are Andrew Cochran Associates’ Terra X – Oak Island, Red Snapper’s Human Interest, Eastern Edge’s Eastern Edge and Triad Films’ Maud Lewis.

Chisholm says the corporation currently has a policy not to release the amounts committed or offered to specific productions, but that it is an issue he intends to raise with the board.

This fiscal year, the corporation has committed $2,181,511 in loans, investments and grants to 51 productions and registered nine productions for $3,518,519 in tax credits. The total budget value of the projects supported this year totals $64.7 million.

Chisholm says he expects totals for this year’s indigenous production to surpass the $21 million projection.