Shooting opened Jan. 14 on the new Pierre Falardeau movie 15 Fevrier 1839, a dramatization of events following the 1837 rebellion in Lower Canada.

Luc Picard stars as the condemned patriot Marie-Thomas de Lorimier in a screenplay penned by Falardeau (Elvis Gratton II: Miracle a Memphis, Octobre, Le Party). Elvis ii ranked second at the box office in Canada in ’99 with receipts of $3.7 million.

Bernadette Payeur of acpav is producing on a budget of $3.3 million, with funding from sodec, the ctf Licence Fee Program, Telefilm Canada, pubcaster Tele-Quebec, pay-tv movie service Super Ecran, Quebec liquor board saq, Montage Metaphore and Comite du 15 Fevrier 1839.

Filming takes place in and around Montreal and in Quebec City through to Feb. 26, under the direction of cinematographer Alain Dostie and production designer Jean-Baptiste Tard. Distrib Films Lions Gate anticipates a February 2001 theatrical release.