A consortium of parties involved in the film and tv sector are planning to open a $7 million film and tv complex in Winnipeg next year.

‘The Prairie Production Centre will be a hub of production activity all housed under one roof,’ says David Budzak, vp and gm of Westsun International Winnipeg, which is spearheading the project. The company, with headquarters in Winnipeg and branch offices across Canada and the u.s., is involved in sound, lighting, staging, scenic construction and other forms of technical support for the entertainment industry.

The facility will total 70,000 square feet and be built on a three-acre parcel of land. The complex will include a 35,000 square-foot, state-of-the art soundstage; production offices available for rental; a post-production facility, for which companies have been approached to move into the centre; and permanent office space for production companies.

Manitoba’s production volume is projected to more than double in 1998 to $50 million, from its $20 million high in 1997. With this level of activity Manitoba Film and Sound’s Carol Vivier says the timing is right for the industry to invest in a studio. Vivier anticipates that it will also give the province an edge in reeling in American productions. A cbs miniseries Marriage of Convenience just wrapped in the province and Annex Entertainment is currently shooting the feature Woman Wanted starring Holly Hunter.

The National Screen Institute, which recently set up a Winnipeg office under the terms of a temporary one-year lease, is one of the partners in the project. Executive director Cheryl Ashton says the plan is to house the nsi office and its training facilities in the complex where students will have access to the studio and post-production equipment.

Derek Mazur, president of Winnipeg-based Credo Entertainment is in discussions with the Westsun Group about becoming a partner in the project and having a separate studio dedicated to Credo productions. However, he is still considering a soundstage venture of his own.

A booming Manitoba economy means that it is difficult to find commercial space available for temporary rental, says Mazur. Rates generally run $1,000 to $20,000 per month for a 20,000 square-foot space.

Credo rents an old sugar beet factory for the Adventures of Shirley Holmes series, currently shooting its third season. Credo’s hefty summer slate also includes a five-picture deal with Paramount and l.a.-based Singer-White to produce five movies for upn and a $10-million feature The Innocents, a joint venture with l.a.’s Adigo Productions to be directed by Gregory Marquette.

Construction is slated to begin on the Prairie Production Centre this fall for an early spring opening. Budzak says the project is currently on schedule and half the financing has been raised from private and government sources.