What started in 1999 as a conversation between a Canadian and an Italian producer over dinner in Milan, has grown into one of the largest films Alberta has ever seen, complete with major international investment and high-profile stars, including Andy Garcia and Angela Bassett.

Calgary producer Bruce Harvey of Illusions Entertainment is in the final stages of production on The Lazarus Child, a $32-million dramatic feature directed by Graham Theakston (The Politician’s Wife).

Harvey started making films in the province almost 10 years ago. Initially his fare included contemporary urban thrillers in the $2-million range, many written by Calgarian David Schultz, but the scope of his projects has grown considerably since then. In the fall of 2000, Harvey produced his first international coproduction, the $12.5-million Almost America, and now, with more than double the budget, The Lazarus Child is taking his work to new levels.

Harvey and Italian producer Ciro Dammicco of Eagle Pictures, one of Italy’s largest production and distribution companies, found additional support for The Lazarus Child from Random Harvest Group in the U.K. and Tandem Communications GmbH in Germany. Harvey says securing various international partners is the only way to get a film of this scale made.

The Canada/Italy/U.K./Germany coproduction went to camera April 11, shooting two weeks in England before hopping across the pond in early September to shoot the remainder of the film on location in and around Calgary, including several weeks at a military base where two hangars were transformed into what Harvey says are probably the biggest sets to be built in the province.

The film wrapped on Oct. 12 and post is underway in Munich.

Adapted from the Robert Mawson novel of the same name, The Lazarus Child tells the story of a British couple, played by Garcia and Frances O’Connor (A.I.: Artificial Intelligence), who look to a controversial and revolutionary doctor (Bassett) in Canada when their daughter falls into a deep coma. Written and executive produced by Ronald Bass (Rain Man, My Best Friend’s Wedding), the feature received funding from Telefilm Canada, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Corus Entertainment, The Movie Network and Super Ecran, Hachette Groupe and Aurum Producciones S.A.

Alliance Atlantis will release the film domestically, with Morgan Creek, a division of Warner Bros., distributing in the U.S. and Senator International handling international sales.

Rockies romance

Calgary-based Nomadic Pictures and Toronto’s Lone Eagle Entertainment just finished shooting Hooked Up, a Temptation Island-meets-Survivor-in-the-Canadian-Rockies-lifestyle series, which executive producer Michael Geddes of Lone Eagle says will be the biggest original series of the year for broadcaster Craig Media.

Nomadic producers Michael Frislev and Chad Oakes teamed up with Toronto’s Lone Eagle (Popstars, Supermodels) to shoot six one-hour episodes in various Alberta locations, including Calgary, Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper.

Geddes says Hooked Up is a good example of the type of programming that makes sense for Canadian producers. It is a concept that he hopes grabbed the attention of buyers at last month’s MIPCOM and will translate into foreign sales of the format.

The three-and-half-week shoot started on Sept. 7 when 20 Canadian singles came together to search for true love in the wilderness. Unlike other reality/ romance shows, Hooked Up’s participants are definitely not in it for the prize money, because there isn’t any. For Hooked Up participants, it’s all about the love.

From Popstars director Joseph Blasioli, the approximately $1.4-million series is currently being posted in Toronto at Bull’s Eye Post and will launch in January on Craig’s A-Channel stations and Toronto 1. It is financed primarily with licence fees from Craig and additional funding from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

Minds Eye still kicking

At the end of a difficult year that saw Regina-based production company Minds Eye Entertainment apply for bankruptcy protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act, the restructured company has signed a development deal with CBC to produce a four-hour miniseries on the life of Canadian political icon Tommy Douglas.

The production is bound to give viewers the most authentic portrayal of Douglas possible, as he will be played by his grandson, Kiefer Sutherland. And Douglas’ daughter Shirley, is also attached as a creative consultant producer.

Douglas served as Saskatchewan’s premier for 17 years before being elected leader of the federal NDP party at its founding convention in 1961. He served as the NDP leader until 1971 and is widely recognized as the father of socialized health care in Canada.

The series is written by Bruce Smith (The Investigation) and will be directed by John N. Smith (Random Passage), with shooting scheduled to begin next summer in Saskatchewan.

Strong Prairie presence at Gemini Gala

Prairie productions made their mark on Canadian television this year, taking six of the 15 awards presented on the final night of the 18th annual Gemini Awards held in Toronto Oct. 20, a big difference from last year when the Prairies went unrecognized at the final-night ceremonies.

The Many Trials of One Jane Doe, a copro from Winnipeg-based Original Pictures, was one of the biggest winners this year, taking three major awards at the gala event. The CBC MOW won four of the five categories it was nominated in, including best dramatic direction for Jerry Ciccoritti, best writing for Karen Walton and best actress for Wendy Crewson.

Coproduced with Indian Grove, Muse Entertainment and Studio Eight Productions, The Many Trials of One Jane Doe was shot in Winnipeg in April 2002.

100 Days in the Jungle, from Edmonton-based Imagination Film & Television Productions, won in the best TV movie category.

Ted Whittall won best actor in a featured supporting role in a dramatic program or miniseries for his work in the CTV MOW Agent of Influence from Calgary’s Alberta Filmworks and Montreal’s Galafilm.

Regina-based Minds Eye Pictures also received two Geminis this year: best supporting actor in a dramatic program or miniseries for Janet Wright for her work in the CTV MOW Betrayed, coproduced with Toronto’s Barna-Alper Productions, and best direction in a dramatic series for Helen Shaver for legal drama series Just Cause.