A new feature film from Thom Fitzgerald, The Event, wrapped production in Halifax in mid-April. The film was shot over five weeks; three spent in Halifax and two in New York, where the story is based.

Producer Bryan Hofbauer says late winter/early spring ‘was a great time of year to film in both cities. Things were quiet.’

Hofbauer produced with Fitzgerald through Fitzgerald’s Halifax-based Emotion Pictures. In addition to his producing and directing duties, Fitzgerald cowrote the script with Tim Marback and Steven Hillyer.

Hofbauer is reluctant to give a plot summary for the project, hoping moviegoers will see the work and decide what it’s about for themselves. The cast includes Olympia Dukakis, Parker Posey, Don McKellar, Brent Carver, Jane Leeves and Sarah Polley.

Funding initially came from the Nova Scotia Film Development Corporation and presales to the Independent Film Channel, The Movie Network and Movie Central. Toronto’s ThinkFilm came on board midway into production, picking up worldwide distribution rights.

Melski shoots new short

Halifax-based writer/director Michael Melski is keeping busy as Chronicle Pictures’ feature film Touch and Go, goes through post-production. Melski recently took his second stab at directing on a new short film called Lift Off.

Shot over four days last month in Halifax, Lift Off is a black comedy about a drugstore security officer who sparks up a friendship with a shoplifter who has completely lost faith in humanity. The two discover they have more in common than one would think and help each other carefully wade back into society.

Melski says the $50,000 film was mostly self-financed through cash prizes he had received for his previous work.

In addition to his writing and directing duties, Melski produced the film with Natalie Angelucci through his production company CinEast Screen Development Corporation. Sean C. Robinson (Black Harbour) and Marla McLean (Parsley Days) star.

Melski says the logical next step is to try his hand at directing his own feature. He is currently in development on a project with Toronto’s Sienna Films.

May, Liley share the Dream

Halifax-based producer Steven May has teamed with writer/director Adamm Liley under the banner Concession 2 Films to develop a one-hour documentary titled Cheeseburgers, Guns and the American Dream. The project is a point-of-view documentary from the perspective of Liley (The Wedding Video) as he tours the U.S. in a 1970 Cadillac in search of the American dream.

According to May, Liley grew up in Canada watching American cable TV and believing the U.S. was the place where dreams came to true. Now a fervent Canadian nationalist living in Halifax, Liley is leaving next spring armed with film gear for a leisurely drive across the U.S. to discover what the American dream really is.

May estimates the budget for Cheeseburgers, Guns and the American Dream will be about $100,000.

The National Film Board has committed some services to the project. Liley plans to shoot the film on a combination of 16mm black-and-white film and digital video.

May says their focus is now on figuring out Liley’s travel itinerary. In researching the project, the pair took out an ad in the New York Post asking the pub’s readers what they feel the American dream is. May says anyone (even a Canadian) is welcome to do the same by e-mailing thoughts on the subject to dreamingamerican@hotmail.com.