Vancouver: Vancouver’s Pacific Motion Pictures has sold 20% of its business to New York-based Hallmark Entertainment.

The multimillion-dollar ‘production-coproduction development, agency and distribution agreement’ means that pmp will be able to retire long-term debt, distribute all of Hallmark’s television product in Canada, and develop projects in partnership with Hallmark.

‘This cements our relationship with Hallmark rather than it being ad hoc,’ says pmp partner Tom Rowe, who shares equal ownership with colleagues Matthew O’Connor and Tony Allard.

The relationship has been years in development and is highlighted by the achievement of the 1996 Hallmark/pmp collaboration In Cold Blood miniseries shot near Calgary. Rowe was nominated for an Emmy for his work overseeing the project.

Other projects include Captains Courageous and a remake of Harvey.

The coproduction development deals with Hallmark will center on children’s, family and big-event miniseries projects, says Rowe, declining to elaborate. Not all the production will necessarily take place in b.c., he adds.

Also, Hallmark will have representation on a new board of directors at pmp once it is constituted, Rowe says.