VANCOUVER — It’s big news in Abbotsford, BC when someone blows up empty storefronts and sends cars into the sky — which were some of the special effects that earned the production of Anna’s Storm front-page coverage in the Vancouver suburb.

The action-drama MOW, produced by Vancouver-based Front Street Pictures (We Don’t Live Here Anymore) was made for less than $3 million and tells the story of a meteor shower that hits a small town in Colorado. Bought by Global and unspecified U.S. and European broadcasters, Anna’s Storm boasts an all-Canadian cast except for the title character, played Sheree J. Wilson (Walker, Texas Ranger, Dallas).

Kristoffer Tabori (Falcon Beach) directs the script by Julie and Stephen Frank. Adam Sliwinski (Tell Me No Lies) is the DOP.

Production wrapped earlier this month in Abbotsford and Maple Ridge, suburbs east enough from the core Vancouver production center to take advantage of the regional tax credit. Visual effects supervisor Adam Stern (Along Came a Spider) of Vancouver’s Artifex Studios is overseeing the visual effects.

Front Street chief Harvey Kahn, with his VP production Jaye Gazeley, produced 10 movies in 2006 in Vancouver and Victoria, including the MOWs Time and Again and Cry Wolf. Anna’s Storm is their first production in 2007, though seven to 10 others, both independent and service deals, are planned, says Gazeley.

No airdates are yet set for Anna’s Storm.

The cast also includes newcomer Desiree Loewen, Graham Wardle (Killer Bash), Peter LaCroix (Stargate SG-1), Sarah-Jane Redmond (Smallville, The L Word) and Kevin McNulty (Robson Arms).