After overcoming serious financial threats during prep, mystery thriller The River King, a $16-million feature starring Edward Burns (Confidence) and Jennifer Ehle (Sunshine), wrapped eight weeks of principal photography in Halifax May 4, but the U.K./Canada copro still isn’t in the clear. Turns out it isn’t quite British enough.

The film is one of several to be threatened by the U.K. government’s decision to crack down on coproductions it claims do not adequately benefit British cultural and economic interests. The move included clamping down on the accessibility of U.K. tax relief – applicable to the entire budget, not just the U.K. spend – and doubling the minimum in-country spend on U.K./Canada coproductions to 40% of the budget.

The River King went into prep in January, but six weeks later production shut down when 30% of its budget disappeared. The film had originally been structured with U.K.-based Grosvenor Park on board as cofinancier. But on Feb. 10, the U.K. government froze Grosvenor Park’s First Choice Films fund in its tax clampdown.

Everyone involved in the production was sent home and the film’s fate was very much in question, but over the next three weeks, producers Chris Zimmer of imX communications in Halifax, Michele Camarda of the U.K.’s Kismet Film Company, Michael Lionello Cowan and Jason Piette of London-based Spice Factory and Marion Pilowsky from the U.K. branch of Myriad Pictures worked to restructure and refinance the film.

While three weeks is not long in the life of a film, Zimmer says, ‘It’s a very long time when you don’t know whether you have financing or whether the production will go on.’

Prep did get underway again after the producers successfully refinanced the film. The outstanding portion of the budget came from Spice Factory, one of the most prolific prodcos in the U.K., and film financier Movision, a joint venture between Spice Factory and Ministry of Vision, and one of the largest film production funds in the U.K. Executive producers include Kirk D’Amico of Myriad, with Joshua Andrews, Peter James and James Simpson of Movision.

While imX has had a long relationship with Myriad as a sales agent, this is the first time the two companies have worked on a production together.

In the film, Burns plays a cop in a small East Coast town who begins to suspect foul play in a reported suicide when he uncovers clues seemingly left by the deceased’s spirit. Additional cast include Canadians Rachelle Lefevre (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind) and Sean McCann (Miracle). Paul Sarossy (The Snow Walker, Ararat) is DOP.

The River King went to camera in Halifax March 16. With only two weeks of principal photography remaining, the U.K.’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport threw another monkey wrench into the works by refusing to grant the film official status as a U.K. coproduction, threatening British funding as well as Canadian financing secured under the assumption that the film would qualify as an official U.K./Canada treaty copro. Zimmer says the production has not yet been able to access Canadian funds.

‘With only two weeks left to shoot, we had enough money just to scrape by,’ says Zimmer. ‘We’ve filed a request for review, and hopefully we will prevail on the film’s status as an official U.K./Canada coproduction, in which case everything will resolve itself.’

In the wake of the DCMS refusal to grant the film official copro status, Myriad, an international production, financing and distribution company with head offices in L.A. and London, closed down its U.K. sales office.

‘There are just too many rules,’ says Zimmer. ‘The guidelines and rules were unclear. In order to access financing and coproduction aspects, the focus is not on how to make the best film, but rather on how to make a film to suit a particular set of rules.’

BritCon

Despite the DCMS’ protestations, obvious British components in the production include Ehle, producer Camarda, director Nick Willing (Doctor Sleep) and writer David Kane, who adapted the script from American Alice Hoffman’s novel of the same name. Post is being completed in London with editor John Gregory. In addition, though Burns is considered an American, he does hold an Irish passport, according to Zimmer.

The production employed approximately 140 people during the Halifax shoot, including 80 local crew. Shooting one of the largest productions to hit Nova Scotia this year was made easier by the fact that principal photography took place during Halifax’s production off-season. While some of the movie was shot at Halifax’s Electropolis Studios, about 80% was lensed on location in and around the city.

‘Given the anxiety and uncertainties of the financing landscape, the actual production went very well,’ says Zimmer. ‘We finished it on time and slightly under budget.’

After having lost three weeks of prep, the film will not be completed in time for this fall’s Toronto International Film Festival, as originally intended. Zimmer says the film has two additional shoot days planned for London, and should be ready for delivery in November. He says he hopes it will premier at Cannes next spring and hit theaters in fall 2005. Movision and Myriad will handle international sales, with Momentum distributing in the U.K. and Odeon Films in Canada.