Montreal-based Cineflix is adding to its roster of documentary-style programming with four new factual series now shooting or in prep in southern Ontario.

The productions follow the recent hiring of David Tibballs, formerly of the BBC, as the company’s new head of factual entertainment, and are part of a ‘concentrated push’ into the mini-genre, according to president Simon Lloyd.

‘I think all the broadcasters are really embracing factual ent,’ says Lloyd, nodding to Global and the recent rethinking at CBC. ‘They’ve found people can deliver quality programming that can be really entertaining.’

The largest project looks to be the 15 x 30 Urban Legends, which went to camera earlier this month with a $4.5-million budget and deals with History Television, A&E Biography, the U.K.’s Five and FX UK. Run by series producer Andy Scott (Banzai), the Canada/U.K. copro tells three stories per episode – one true, the others a mishmash of urban myths and other hokum.

The hook – which one is the true story? Lloyd says all three will be shot as convincingly as possible, with location and faux interview footage, to put viewers’ wits to the test.

The U.K. version will be interactive, with viewers casting their votes directly through their TVs. A voting feature for the domestic version and a mobile content deal are also in the works.

Cineflix is also turning out two real estate series for HGTV – Great Canadian Home Giveaway and Property Virgins. The former, produced by Martha Kehoe (Canadian Idol) will shoot over two weeks in September, offering a free house to guests if they can correctly guess its value. Think Dream Builders meets The Price is Right.

Each of the six hour-longs will feature three families and a walk-through of the house and neighborhood. The family that guesses closest to the sticker price (within a certain range) gets to move in.

‘There’s lots of take-away information,’ says Lloyd. ‘You learn a lot about what’s worth what in a home, and how to bid.’

Likewise, the 13 x 30 Property Virgins follows first-time buyers through the grind of hunting and bidding, with more emphasis on financing. Series producer Amy Hoskins works with a $1.6-million budget, shooting around Toronto and going to air in October. The series is a copro with NextFilm.

Cineflix is also partway through shooting the 10 x 30 Wedding SOS, wherein celebrated wedding planner Jane Dayus-Hinch steps in to save couples whose preparations for the big day have gone off the rails.

The pilot, says Lloyd, features a couple who rented a French chateau for $20,000 only to find themselves without wine, flowers, a working sound system or an officiator. It will air on Life Network in October and on LIVINGtv in the U.K.

Cineflix is also partway through shooting White Night: The Last Days of Jonestown – a $2.3-million docudrama about the infamous People’s Temple cult. It is underway in Toronto and South Africa under a copro deal with Nextfilm, Film Afrika and Galaxie, in association with A&E, France 3, VisionTV and British Sky Broadcasting.