Studio and infrastructure development is part of an aggressive plan to boost production volume in Manitoba to $100 million by the year 2000.

In fiscal ’98, overall production volume grew to $53 million from $17 million the previous year. Indigenous projects were worth over $22 million in ’98 and offshore accounted for $29 million.

‘Local production companies are aggressively pursuing coproduction opportunities, our infrastructure is growing, and the city and provincial government are active supporters in the industry’s growth,’ says Richard Horne, executive director of the Manitoba Motion Picture Industries Association. ‘That can’t be underplayed. Many provinces have tax credits, so it’s the ability of regions to differentiate themselves by the expertise of their local producers, the abilities of their crews, their facilities, and the relationship with the province which will make the difference.’

mmpia is working on a major marketing initiative, says Horne, which will assist producers to access key international markets, raise the profile of Manitoba as a production center for foreign location shoots, and promote local companies as viable coproducers.

Credo cracks int’l market

Credo Entertainment is one of the Manitoba companies making inroads into the international market. Credo has just wrapped production on four sci-fi tv movies for upn in the u.s. – Dream House, Roswell: The Aliens Attack, Escape From Mars and A Day In The Life, coproduced with Singer/White Entertainment in California and Paramount Pictures.

The movies were worth $3 million each and were completely shot in Winnipeg.

Also recently completed is the $10-million feature Dark Summer, coproduced with Adagio Films in l.a. and Independent Moving Pictures of Saskatchewan. The Adventures of Shirley Holmes, Credo’s kids’ series, has been bought by bbc and Fox Family Channel.

Credo president Derek Mazur anticipates around $40 million to $45 million in production this year, most of which will be financed internationally without relying on Telefilm Canada and ctf funding.

Credo has four feature scripts being developed with European and American partners and two kids’ series in the works.

Spy Fly is a live-action/cgi show about a little kid who is able to become as small as a fly on the wall. The 13-part, half-hour series is in development with ytv and will be coproduced with u.k. company Winklemania, based in Oxford. Per episode budget is $500,000.

In development with cbc is There’s A Rainbow In My Closet, based on the book by New York author Patti Stren. The half-hour, live-action/animated series centers on a little girl who constantly daydreams.

Kim Todd is developing the series, which targets ages four to seven and will be formatted in 15-minute segments. Mazur is looking for an animation company to partner on the project.

Launching an international distribution arm is a key focus for Credo in 1999. The company is currently raising money for the venture through private offerings and plans to have some projects ready for mip-tv. The distribution division will sell Credo’s proprietary projects and also acquire other Canadian and foreign titles.