VANCOUVER: Insight Film & Video Production in Vancouver, in collaboration with Vancouver-based Shavick Entertainment, has wrapped the first of six MOWs for Blockbuster in the U.S.

Biohazard, a sci-fi horror story, stars Lorenzo Lamas. It wrapped in July after production in Chilliwack and Abbotsford, locations that pay the regional bonus tax credits.

Hellfire, a thriller on an oilrig, is scheduled to go into production Aug. 25 in Squamish and may also star Lamas, though Blockbuster may want more variety in its shows, says producer Kirk Shaw.

The Canadian-content video features – which will air in Canada on CHUM and Movie Central – cost about $1 million each to shoot and have 15-day shooting schedules with non-union crews.

Kirk says that based on the success of three genre MOWs he made last year – Killer Bees and Wildfire Seven for PAX TV and the spec MOW Maximum Search that was picked up by CHUM/Movie Central – he was able to pitch Blockbuster on a six-pack of video rental-friendly genre films at the American Film Market in February.

Canes, a supernatural thriller, will go into production outside the Vancouver zone in October. Alien Agent, an action sci-fi, will go in November. Horror video Hunt for the Devil will go in December and vampire movie Jugs goes in January or February.

Insight owns the copyright on the Blockbuster pictures. The move to MOWs represents a diversification strategy for Insight, which until now has been better known for its documentary and lifestyle programming.

Insight is also gearing up to launch the tenth season of Driver’s Seat with car enthusiast hosts Ted Laturnas and Tony Whitney and is delivering the Ballet British Columbia production of Faerie Queen to the CBC and the feature doc Easter Island to The Nature of Things, NHK in Japan and Discovery U.S. later this month.

Set to start Sept. 25 is production on David Four, a Canada/Germany coproduction feature about cloning. Done with Vancouver’s Avanti Pictures and DragonCine in Germany, the production will spend two weeks in Squamish and two weeks in Hamburg.

Insight and Shavick recently combined office space and, while they are separate companies, are co-venturing on projects. James Shavick is executive producer on the Blockbuster movies.

Family affair

Window Theory, called a ‘guymantic’ dramedy by its producers, is a low-budget Canadian feature that wrapped four weeks of production in Victoria Aug. 10.

Co-writer and coproducer Corey Large (Disturbing Behavior) stars as an underachieving 25-year-old playboy living in L.A. who returns home to recreate his high-school glory days when his high-school sweetheart decides to marry his best friend. It’s time to grow up, says the script. Does he or doesn’t he?

Most of the privately financed production, called a blend of comedy and drama with romance and ‘guy’ movie elements, took place at Large’s grandparents’ lakeside property near Victoria and his parents’ hotel – saving him a bundle on location fees. And Large’s family – including mom, step dad, aunts, uncles, cousins, dog Bo, grandma and grandfather, who is executive producer – made up much of the crew. Craft services came from the family-owned grocery store.

Other cast includes Jennifer O’Dell (The Lost World), Abercrombie & Fitch model Luke Flynn, Luke Kirby (Mambo Italiano), Paul Johansson (Highlander: The Raven), Tom Lenk (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), singer Melissa Schuman, Alexandra Holden (How to Deal), Carly Pope (Popular), James Duval (Independence Day) and Don Gibb (Bloodsport). Andrew Putschoegl is director and Andrew Huebscher is DOP. Kyle Kramer is co-writer and coproducer with Brian Hartman.

Post is being done in L.A. and the goal is to debut at Sundance.

Three’s company

RIFFING on the theme of redemption, the three winning proposals in the Signature Shorts Screenwriting Competition – sponsored by British Columbia Film and CBC – are:

* Heart of Flesh (writer Michelle Adams, director Jessica Bradford, producer Bonnie Jean Mah): a 13-year-old girl believes buying her first bikini will redeem her from a boring childhood and grant her admission to a sexy adult world

* Sarah’s Room (writer Ita Margalit, director Bob Fugger, producer Michael Patience): the love of a mother and daughter is tested by a host of everyday power struggles

* Rugged Rich & the Ona Ona (writer David Taylor, director Eric Finkel, producers Kevin Eastwood and Jason James): a soft urbanite goes to extreme lengths to impress his new nature-jock girlfriend – even if that means facing the dreaded Ona Ona

Almost 300 writers submitted to the contest. The winners each get $16,000 in cash and up to $30,000 in facilities and services. The final short films will be broadcast on CBC next season.

Wrist assessment

YET another short film competition is in the works for emerging B.C. filmmakers – this time, animators.

‘On this day…’ is the thematic inspiration for Shortz, a competition of one-minute animated films. The contest is sponsored by the Pacific Centre studio of the National Film Board, together with British Columbia Film and CBC’s ZeD, the broadcaster.

Shortz organizers say anything goes as long as the one-minute bits are ‘innovative and engaging’ with a ‘creative treatment and production approach.’

Applicants on a short list of the best ideas will get $1,500 each and one month to complete a production storyboard, outline of the approach, model sheet of characters, budget and schedule (not including post-production). The projects are presented and the winners have three months to complete the animation. Finalists, who will be chosen in October, can work at the NFB Pacific Centre’s animation studio.

Program guidelines are available online at www.nfb.ca. Hurry, because you’ve only got until Aug. 29 to get your ideas in.