A night at the opera

Toronto – Toronto’s DocuTainment Plus Productions and director Mark Stone are back from Paris, having wrapped a lengthy shoot for Persee in the Court of Atelier, a two-hour Opening Night special set to air later this year on CBC. The project combines live performances of the 300-year-old opera in France and Toronto, plus interviews with performers and art historians. Shot in cooperation with Stone’s MHS Productions, it is expected to cost about $1 million, with help from CTF.

This month DocuTainment is also shooting the pilot for Zoo Kidz!, a would-be spin-off of its Zoo Diaries series, about life at the Toronto Zoo from a kids point of view. Richard Mortimer (Jonovision) directs on a $150,000 budget. The company says it has strong interest in a half-hour series from BBC Kids.

Later this year the company will also deliver Lady in Waiting, a one-hour doc about a mysterious 1914 shipwreck, copro’ed by Howard Bernstein and David Greener of Toronto’s Conceptual Films. The CBC/Radio-Canada special is expected to air early in 2005. Harvey Crossland will shoot off the coast of Quebec this summer, with Greener doubling as DOP. The budget is roughly $750,000, backed by Telefilm Canada and CTF. Sean Davidson

Virgin territory

Vancouver – After two years of development, funding and losing virgins who could no longer wait, Vancouver producers Michelle Welygan and Erin Mussolum of Artizan Productions are finally going into production with The Big V, an edgy one-hour documentary on virginity.

‘In our sexually saturated climate, we wanted to show the other side of the coin – that virginity can be very sexy and empowering,’ say the producers. ‘We wanted to show virginity like it has never been seen on TV. We have a woman in her sixties, a gay man who waited 36 years until he found Mr. Right, a virile man in his thirties who made a promise to his parents, people who have had sex and have decided to become ‘born-again’ virgins, and a woman who is getting her hymen reattached so she can physically reclaim her virginal state.’

VisionTV is the commissioning broadcaster, along with Knowledge Network. Production begins this summer, with delivery in December. Ian Edwards

Animal magnetism

Vancouver – Peace Arch Entertainment has sold its Vancouver-made documentary series Animal Miracles, now a couple years out of production, to Animal Planet in the U.S.

‘This sale confirms the value of Peace Arch’s factual programming in international markets, particularly in the important U.S. cable environment,’ says Blair Reekie, president of Peace Arch division The Eyes Multimedia Productions. ‘We are extremely proud of the fact that Animal Miracles will now be seen daily on Animal Planet, the preeminent source for top-quality, animal-related programming.’

Animal Miracles is a 39-episode, one-hour format documentary series that explores the relationship between people and animals. It is hosted by Alan Thicke and features dramatic recreations of events involving animals rescuing people during natural and man-made disasters, as well as the efforts of people across North America to help animals in need.

The series began airing weekdays on Animal Planet in late March and is seen weekly in Canada on Life Network. U.S. distribution rights to Animal Miracles were acquired by Program Partners in association with its Vancouver affiliate, Thunderbird Films. Ian Edwards