Television presales have become an increasingly important part of financing scenarios in Canadian feature filmmaking, especially since the advent of the Canadian Television Fund. In response to growing demand from filmmakers, broadcasters are finding their involvement in feature films on the rise.

Citytv, a longtime supporter of Canadian features, licensed 36 projects in 1997/98. tmn prebought 59 films in ’98. TMN’s ’98/99 prebuys will hit an all-time high of 89. The A-Channel Drama Fund out of Alberta has commissioned over 12 projects – worth more than $35 million in production budgets – from Western Canadian producers since its startup almost two years ago.

CBC has more actively entered the feature film game in recent years, commissioning 10 titles in 1997, and five films in 1998.

Looking ahead, Playback asked Canada’s broadcasters to provide a sampling of the projects which have been offered prebuy commitments and will go to camera over the next two years.

Caster Title Producer Director Distributor Budget Presales Talent Shoot Delivery

A-Channel Bad Faith Tom Dent-Cox, Doug Randy Bradshaw Not attached Unconfirmed A-Channel Not attached March ’99 To be determined

MacLeod, Brad MacLeod

Associates, Calgary

Tickets Josh Miller, Kevin DeWalt Not attached Minds Eye Int’l $2 million A-Channel Not attached Fall ’99 Early 2000

Minds Eye,Edm/Regina

Shadows of Doubt Nancy Marano, Marano Not attached Not attached $2.5 million A-Channel Not attached Summer ’99 December ’99

Productions, Calgary

Don’t Call Me Tonto Gerry Cook, Annie Frasier Not attached Not attached $3.5 million A-Channel Gordon Tootoosis, Fall 99 Spring 2000

Henry, Dinosaur Soup, Tantoo Cardinal

Edm., Full Regalia, Sechelt

The Cartoonist Kate Holowach, Blue Sky Not attached Not attached $2.5 million A-Channel Not attached Summer ’99 Fall 2000

Entertainment, Edm

CBC Apartment Hunting Paul Barkin, Bill Robertson Alliance Atlantis $1 million CBC Not attached February ’99 July ’99

Moira Holmes,

Alcina Pictures, T.O./

Fromage Films

Citytv A Girl Is A Girl Christina Margellos, Reginald Harkema Not Attached $1 million Citytv Andrew McIntyre Feb. 14- August ’99

Femme Films, B.C. mid-March

Claire’s Hat Nicole Robert, Bruce McDonald Behaviour (Canada), $4.5 million Citytv Isabelle Carre July ’99 March 2000

Lux Films, Montreal Behaviour Classics

(foreign)

Poor Super Man Paul Stiles, Ken Mead Brad Fraser Not attached $1.5 million TMN, Citytv Not attached Summer ’99 August 2000

Realtime, Edm.

Shiney’s Head Scott Kennedy, Not attached Red Sky $5 million Citytv Not attached June ’99 January 2000

Cadence, B.C.

Johnny Carl Bessai, Carl Bessai Not attached $250,000 Citytv, TMN Chris Martin Jan. 9-24 To be determined

Raven Media, T.O. Gema Zamprona

Hollywood North Peter O’Brian,. Peter O’Brian Not attached $1 million Citytv, TMN Not attached Spring ’99 December ’99

coprod Chan Park,

Independent Pics, T.O

TMN 2000 and None Arnie Gelbart Arto Paragamian Behaviour, Canadian $4.5 million TMN, Not attached April ’99 September ’99

Galafilm, Mtl Pandora, int’l Super Channel,

Super Ecran

Brilliant Kim Berlin, Bill Mariani, Robert Bergman Blackwatch Releasing $2 million TMN, Leslie Hope, April ’99 August ’99

Alan Levine, Blackwatch, Super Ecran Margot Kidder

Montreal

Dead Silent Kim Berlin, Bill Mariani Roger Cardinal Blackwatch (Canada/US) $2 million TMN, Rob Lowe, February ’99 July ’99

Saban (foreign) Super Ecran Catherine Mary Stewart

The Hunter Kim Berlin, Bill Mariani Christian Viel Blackwatch $2.5 million TMN, Rudger Hauer April ’99 September ’99

Super Ecran

Life in the Balance Kim Berlin, Bill Mariani Not attached Saban (international) $2 million TMN, Not attached August ’99 To be determined

Super Channel

Café Ole Pierre Laberge, Richard Roy Not attached $1.2-million TMN, Not attached May ’99 Spring ’99

Prods Publi-Mages, Que. Super Ecran

Echo Lake Monique Indra, Sandra Richard Story Cinema Esperanca $582,870 TMN Not attached April ’99 To be determined

Edmunds, Vancouver

Life as Cinema: Leonard Terhoch Linda Tokarchyuk Cinema Esperanca $311,740 TMN Not attached May ’99 To be determined

Making of Phorpa Vancouver

Cold Sweat Catherine Jackman, Hfx Doug Pope Cinema Esperance $800,000 TMN Not attached Summer ’99 Early 2000

The Deadline Ken Hegan, Maureen Ken Hegan Not attached $1.4 million TMN Not attached Unconfirmed To be determined

Prentice, Voice of Treason

Productions, Vancouver

Exiles in Paradise Wesley Lowe, B.C. Wesley Lowe Not attached $862,000 TMN Dmitri Boudrine ’99 To be determined

Heart and Soul Jana Williams, Teri Snelgrove Red Sky $1.5 million TMN,

Karen Austin, Penny Super Channel Sarah Strange Spring ’99 Fall ’99

Candy Prods. B.C.

Jack & Ella Rebecca Yates, Quebec Brenda Kessal Not attached $1.5 million TMN Isabelle Cyr Spring ’99 Fall ’99

Naomi Levine

Kevin Higgins Roger Albrecht, Roger Albrecht Not attached $2 million TMN Not attached Unconfirmed To be determined

John Doyle, Harpy Prods,

Kitchener

Lunch with Charles Shan Tam, Michael Parker, Michael Parker Not attached $3 million TMN Andy Lau Spring ’99 Fall ’99

Holiday Pictures, B.C

The Man Who Knew Bruce Raymond, T.O. Henry Less Raymond Int’l $1 million TMN Not attached Unconfirmed To be determined

Movie Stars

Miracle in Malibu Elvira Lount, Utopia Laurence Keane Not attached $4.4 million TMN Not attached Unconfirmed To be determined

Pictures, B.C.

My Falcon Jack Darcus, Jack Darcus Raincoat Releasing $2 million TMN Alan Scarfe Fall ’99 January 2000

One Prods, B.C.

Son of a Knife Andrew Nisker, Gunner Andrew Nisker Not attached $1.1 million TMN Seymour Cassel Fall ’99 Spring 99

Sharpener Entertainment, Toronto

Tuxedo Junction Carl Bessai, Raven Diane Alexander Not attached $1.5 million TMN, Kathryn Greenwood Unconfirmed To be determined

Media, Toronto Super Channel

Various Positions David Ohnona. Ori Kowarsky Not attached $1 million TMN Not attached Summer ’99 Summer 2000

Casabalca Films, B.C

Violet Mary Sexton, Nfld Rosemary House Not attached $1 million TMN Margot Kidder Unconfirmed To be determined

The Wives of Bath Christian Jennings, Jerry Ciccoritti Behaviour $3-5 million TMN, Sarah Polley July ’99 To be determined

Shaftesbury Films, T.O. Super Channel,

Super Ecran,

Showcase