NORSTAR Filmed Entertainment has started shooting its psychosexual thriller Darkness Falling – not to be confused with Norstar’s adaptation of Invisible Darkness, Stephen Williams’ controversial account of the Paul Bernardo and Karla Hamolka story that was rumored months ago to be starring Jason Priestley and confirmed to be a low-budget digital feature.

Darkness Falling, with Priestley, Janet Kidder and Patsy Kensit, is a digital feature about a woman hunting for clues about her twin sister’s death. Realizing how little she knew about her sister’s alternative lifestyle, she is drawn into an illicit underworld of S&M clubs where she surprisingly ends up making friends. Through her new acquaintances, she is drawn further into this world, and as she comes closer to uncovering why her sister died she also discovers what she, herself, is capable of doing in order to survive.

Directed by Dominic Shiach (Blackheart), the feature film, which is being shot on digital then blown up to 35mm, is a Canada/U.K. coproduction between Norstar’s Peter Simpson and ongoing partner Allan Scott of Rafford Films.

The budget is described as ‘under $3 million’ and Simpson says the only similarity between this film and Invisible Darkness is the ‘they both have ‘darkness’ in the titles and they’re both psychosexual thrillers.’

While Simpson is keeping tight-lipped on details about his film adaptation of Invisible Darkness, the announcement of which evoked major backlash last winter from the media and concerned citizens, he says he would never mutter another word about it to the media. Nonetheless, he confirms the film is still going forward.

When asked what, if any, property Darkness Falling is based on, the unit publicist says it was adapted from another screenplay.

Screenwriters include Wilson Coneybeare, Colin Simpson and Brad Simpson.

The film is being shot in Toronto, July 4 to Aug. 10.

Distribution negotiations are underway.

Together, Norstar and Rafford have produced Grizzly Falls, Regeneration and The Fourth Angel.

McKellar goes for

Rub & Tug

AFTER a year’s research into the ins & outs of Toronto’s omnipresent rub & tug joints – massage parlors that offer ‘full body’ treatment to men – director Soo Lyu is revving up to make her feature-film directorial debut with Rub & Tug, starring Don McKellar.

Financed by Telefilm Canada’s low-budget feature film fund, the $300,000 film tells the fictional tale of three massage girls who are worshipped by their clients and feared by their boss. But when the owner of the Magic Touch parlor hires a new manager (to be played by McKellar), who decides to stand up to the girls, all hell breaks loose.

‘The film centres on female empowerment, breaking the stereotype that these woman are victims and whores,’ says producer and cowriter Edward Stanulis of Toronto upstart Willow Pictures.

‘What Soo Lyu discovered in her research is that rub & tugs are actually the softest end of the sex trade [although full-service parlors that offer sex do exist, the full body parlors generally go as far as hand jobs and nude reverse – where the client massages the girl].’

In the full body shops, girls are in high demand, confirms Stanulis. ‘In many cases, they take 60% of the profit and they’re smart. They actually perpetrate some of the stereotypes for their own survival. Like, if a place gets busted, they play up the victim role. They’re urban survivors.’

Lindy Booth (Century Hotel), Tara Spencer-Nairn (New Waterford Girl) and Kira Clavell (The Immortal) were hired through ACTRA’s CLIPP program to play the three main massage girls.

The film will be shot in Toronto Aug. 7 to Sept. 6 on HD and be blown up to 35mm.

‘It’s not a docudrama. It’s very slick with a lot of product placement [hmm]. We have a stylist, not a wardrobe designer. Really, it combines the sensibility of music videos and commercials with features,’ says Stanulis.

Avion Films’ Daniel Palmer is the editor.

The film is intended to make its world premiere at the New Directors/ New Film Series out of New York’s Museum of Modern Art, a screening series for first-time directors (through which such films as Run Lola Run were debuted).

Meantime, it has been presold to TMN-The Movie Network and Superchannel.

Distribution negotiations are underway.

Shoot cheap,

look expensive

IT may be cheaper to shoot on digital, and clearly, many filmmakers are jumping on the digital bandwagon, but still nothing beats the look and feel of good old-fashioned film. That is why shooting on digital and then blowing the film up to 35mm is becoming a preferred choice, particularly for cash-strapped Canadian filmmakers.

Hair of the Dog joins the ranks of the above-mentioned films, but in the case of this feature film, ‘We will be shooting in DV and then using a new program ILM has developed called The Magic Bullet to create ‘the look of film,’ ‘says associate producer Erin Copen.

The program, which will be applied to the DV in post, will change the frames-per-second so it looks like film.

The film is being produced by Stephanie Thorpe and Lindsey Lanzillotta, directed by Mike Davies Jr. (When You’re in Love) and developed by writer Patrick Thornton, who’s been working on the script for two years.

It is described as a smart comedy that throws a new spin on the post-college life, following one man’s relentless experience with Murphy’s Law.

Budgeted at less than $100,000, the project shoots in and around Toronto Aug. 3-20.

BBC, CBC partner on Antique Road Show

MARKING the BBC’s Antique Road Show’s first-ever visit to North America, the show is traveling to Ottawa and Toronto later this fall and will be joined in its search for household treasures by a group of Canadian antique experts.

The visits will be taped for a January broadcast to be seen exclusively on CBC Newsworld.

Heading the show’s visit to Canada will be new host Michael Aspel, exec producer Christopher Lewis and 16 experts. For this trip, five Canadian experts have been added to the roster: Erik J. Peters, Tim Potter, Peter Baker, Donald Ellis and John Forbes.

The series attracts 1.3 million viewers on Newsworld every week.

It has traveled only nine times in its 25-year history. Previous trips have been made to Malta, Jamaica, Gibraltar, Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, Belgium, The Netherlands and France.

Kordic a go with McDonald

BRUCE McDonald’s Shadow Shows is in development on Kordic, a feature film about the late John Kordic, tagged the most tragic enforcer in the history of major league hockey.

Based on the revealing inside story, The John Kordic Story: The Fight of His Life by Mark Zwolinski, the film, which is being written by poet/journalist Lynn Crosbie, will be directed by McDonald.

Toronto Maple Leafs centre Shane Corson (who wears Kordic’s #27) is considering playing a cameo role in the film.

Relic Hunter season three

CHRIS-Craft and Partner Stations Networks have renewed Fireworks Entertainment’s Relic Hunter for a third season in first-run syndication.

The new season will debut Sept. 17.

Filmed on location in Canada, Spain and the U.K., season three brings nail-biting treks to China, Bali, the Middle East and the Caribbean, as the relic hunters chase down such artifacts as the amulet of a witch burned at the stake and the lid of infamous vampire Count Stanislaf’s life-giving chalice.

Fireworks and Farrier produce the series, starring Tia Carrere, Christien Anholt and newcomer Tanja Reichert (Scary Movie).

Paramount Domestic Television has U.S. rights, with Fireworks International holding rights for the rest of the world.

Jay Firestone, Adam Haight and Jeff F. King are executive producers with co-exec producer Simon MacCorkindale, who will also appear in three episodes.

And now for something completely American

AMONG the American shoots making their way back to Canada this summer following the debilitating strike scare, Disney Channel’s MOW Cadet Kelly went into production in Toronto on July 30.

Directed by Larry Shaw (Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot), the story, written by Michael Walsh and Gail Parent, follows a Grade 9 girl who goes to military school.

Toronto doubles for New York in the film, produced by Kevin Lafferty.

Budding young actors Hilary Duff and Christy Romano star, along with Shawn Ashmore (X-Men).

The film wraps Aug. 31.