Montreal prodco Cité-Amérique has begun principal photography on pay-TV drama Faker, the story of a trio of private schoolers hatching a counterfeiting ring in plain view of their parents and teachers. Written by Jesse McKeown (Da Vinci’s Inquest, Robson Arms), the project is directed and lensed by Pierre Gill (The Last Casino). Producers are Cité-Amérique’s Greg Dummett (The Last Casino, Lost & Delirious) and Lorraine Richard (Babine, L’audition, Lost & Delirious).

Greyston Holt (Durham County) plays Tanner, a teenager with a bright future who gets mixed up in the schemes of his self-destructive cousin, played by Andrew Francis (The L Word, X-Men Evolution). Inadvertently indebted to a biker gang, the cousin enlists the collusion of the principal’s daughter (Alexia Fast) in using the school’s media lab to print fake money.

The production team includes line producer Martha Fernandez, first AD Christian Simard, art director Mario Hervieux, costume designer Annie Dufort and editor Sylvain Lebel. Production executives Kathleen Meek, manager of Canadian independent production for The Movie Network, and Julie Di Cresce, manager of original programming for Movie Central, are overseeing the movie.

TMN and MC will premiere Faker in spring 2010. Principal photography continues in and around Montreal until July 19.