Vancouver: On March 16, Vancouver’s Paperny Films sent a cut of the one-hour $250,000 Discovery Health special Thirst for Life to the Canadian Television Fund – hoping that the project would actually get the $50,000 in funding promised from the CTF in 2004.

Like other documentary projects that have fallen under strict scrutiny from the CTF, the Paperny project, about the health benefits of red wine, may not get its funding after all.

For the first time, says David Paperny, the CTF has required a contract that stipulates content – for instance, using Canadian statistics and Canadian experts, even though the acknowledged experts come from Harvard and France.

‘This is something we’ve not seen before,’ says Paperny, calling the current situation a ‘dark shadow’ for Canadian documentary filmmakers. ‘The CTF wants to drive the content of the show and we’re not happy about it. This is a Canadian show with a Canadian host for a Canadian broadcaster and for a Canadian audience. It dumbs down our story when we have to go to a second-rate Canadian expert for programming requirements. It makes for more parochial programming – less informative and entertaining.’

Paperny says that if a documentary qualifies under CAVCO restrictions, then it should be fundable under the CTF. The CTF and Telefilm Canada were deliberating on recommended changes to documentary funding at press time.

Thirst for Life is set to air June 12 on Discovery Health, and later on Food Network and Life Network.

Meanwhile, production will get underway in April in Vancouver on a second season of 13 hours of Crash Test Mommy, Paperny’s reality show for Life. Season one is airing.

And Global has ordered another seven episodes of the one-hour My Fabulous Gay Wedding, bringing the first season to 13. The new order will go into production in May in Toronto, about the time that the series debuts on Global, May 25. The series will also premier on new U.S. gay network LOGO the first week of July.

Production could begin in July on W Network’s on-off Blonde Mystique, which awaits CTF funding decisions.

Paperny’s history doc special Victoria, 1945 – commemorating the 60th anniversary of VE Day and directed by Sue Ridout – premiers on History Television May 6. And season four of Kink (11 x 30) travels to Winnipeg and debuts on Showcase May 6.

Season five of cooking show New Classics with Chef Rob Feenie for Food is on the air, but won’t be renewed, says Paperny.