Vancouver: Up to a half-dozen more local feature filmmakers will get British Columbia Film funding assistance in the next 12 months now that the board of directors has decided how to dole out new money given by the province in March. The NDP government, prior to the election call this month, gave B.C. Film $5 million to support more production over the next three years.

In fiscal 2001/02, which began April 1, B.C. Film will use $2 million to bolster its equity-financing envelope by $1.75 million and its development/marketing/skills development programs by $250,000.

For feature producers it means that while only Suddenly Naked and Mile Zero received $200,000 each toward production last year, up to eight productions will get funding this year. A new low-budget production stream offers equity financing of up to $100,000 while larger budget productions can get as much as $100,000 per project.

Many productions will still be left wanting, however. B.C. Film is currently vetting 25 feature film proposals requesting $5.4 million, which means this envelope is oversubscribed by $1.65 million.

The extra dollars and the improved supply-demand ratio mean B.C. Film is in its best shape to support production since the closure of the Market Incentive Program in 1998.

‘The extra money is a real shot in the arm,’ says CEO Rob Egan. ‘It will help us better meet the demand in both television and film.’

Development, marketing and training, meanwhile, will jump to $1.95 million this year from $1.2 million last year, including the extra $250,000.

The new feature support will also free up money for television projects – but again most will be unlucky. And shows that were overlooked by EIP shouldn’t expect B.C. Film to pick up the slack.

Fifty-four television applications want $4.5 million when only $2.25 million is available. Of those, 17 television drama series, animated series and MOWs want $1.1 million while 17 documentary productions want $1.4 million.

Fight club

Behind the Story: Fatal Combat might be the first martial arts film in B.C.’s history – and certainly one of the very few Canadian productions that have ventured into the fight ring.

As a kind of homage to the classic Hong Kong action movie, Fatal Combat has a story reminiscent of The Fugitive.

The story concept and the $100,000 in cash funding come from high-tech businesswoman Nastasha Baron, who owns Richmond-based ClientServ Technologies (www.client-

serv.com). Including the value of deferrals, the budget is about $1.1 million.

Shot on Super 16mm, the film’splot involves six fight sequences choreographed by martial arts instructor and featured performer Suk Woo Nam.

‘We want the action to look as ruthless and painful as possible,’ says Nam.

Other cast include Laurie Manley, Earl Waddan, Jason Simpson and Ryf Van Rij. For Ultimate Fight fans, Bas Ruttan makes a cameo appearance.

Tom Hanley wrote the script.

Production actually began in December and concludes with a final four days of shooting in Squamish on May 27. In one of the most expensive scenes in the film, the crew will blow up a car in a train crash.

Alien nation

MOW Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers is the sixth in a string of spin-off Sci-Fi Channel TV movies inspired by the space station series of four seasons. The production brings alien life to Vancouver between May 14 and June 6 and should kick off a new series. Regular cast member Bruce Boxleitner will not return. In fact, the only returning character is Citizen G’Kar, played by Andreas Katsulas (the original one-armed man from The Fugitive). Veteran TV director Michael Vejar is at the helm. Local Ron McLeod (Outer Limits) is producing.

In other U.S.-based service work:

* After a busy year of eight MOWs in 2000, Vancouver service producer Legacy Filmworks is back on set in 2001 with Viacom’s TV movie Bang Bang You’re Dead.

Canadian Tom Cavanagh (of Ed fame) stars in the story inspired by and involving the anti-high school violence play that is available freely on the Internet (www.bangbangyouredead.com). Production runs May 4-11.

* Dufferin Gate is once again working for Showtime, this time with MOW Off Season, a story about a 10-year-old orphan and an elderly man he thinks is Santa Claus on a holiday. Rory Culkin (You Can Count on Me) and Hume Cronyn (Cocoon) star. Actor Bruce Davison (Harry and the Hendersons) directs. Production runs May 1 to June 1.

* Actor Judd Nelson returns to the role of murderous screenwriter Stanley Caldwell in Cabin by the Lake 2, the sequel to the made-in-1999 Vancouver MOW for USA Network. Production on the new storyline, also directed by Po-Chih Leong, runs to May 11.

Aquaculture

CBC British Columbia and British Columbia Film have selected the 10 finalists in the innovative screenwriting competition 2001: A Fill-This-Space Odyssey. About 100 writers, inspired by the theme of smoked salmon, applied to the program that will fund and air three short films. Making the swim upstream are:

* Shellie Troy Anderson (Vancouver), Salmon Chanted Evening;

* Sue Bourque (Victoria), Smoked Salmon;

* Graham Clark (Vancouver), Oh the Pleasure, Oh the Humanity!;

* Kajsa Erickson (Victoria), Salmon @ Work;

* Penny Gummerson (Vancouver), The Salmon Run;

* Sarah Hambley (Vancouver), The Salmon Run;

* Geoff Inverarity (Vancouver), Still Life With Scissors;

* Greg Rosati (Vancouver), Fish Out of Water;

* Loretta Seto (Vancouver), Once a Fish; and

* Andrew Struthers (Victoria), Wasteland What’s What.

The 10 finalists participate in an intensive script development session this month, then take a week to fine-tune their scripts and assemble production teams for a final pitch. Three teams will ultimately be selected to produce their project for CBC, receiving $11,000 cash and up to $10,000 in services and labor from B.C. Film and CBC. *