Credo Entertainment has made a sale to Discovery Channel for its health and travel show World’s Greatest Spas. Discovery is taking the series for the u.s., Latin America and Iberia. wtn, which licensed the series for Canada, has signed on for an additional 26 half-hour episodes.

Hosted by comedian Brigitte Gall, the show seeks out spa destinations around the world, and in addition to showcasing the treatments they offer, highlights the local culture and surroundings.

Spas has sold to more than 50 countries worldwide.

Credo has also announced that its kids series The Adventures of Shirley Holmes has completed its production run after delivery of 52 episodes. The program is coproduced with Vancouver’s Forefront Entertainment and is broadcast on ytv in Canada, Fox Family in the u.s. and bbc in the u.k.

* Heater at Sundance

Marble Island Pictures’ feature film Heater has been invited to screen at the Sundance Film Festival, Jan. 20-30 in Park City, Utah in the Native Forum. The film follows a day in the life of two homeless men, played by Gary Farmer and Stephen Ouimette, who walk across town to return a stolen baseboard heater to Canadian Tire for a refund.

Heater marks the feature film directorial debut of Terrance Odette, who also penned the script. Marc Stephenson produced. Ritchard Findlay at Marble Island exec-produced and is aiming to land a distribution deal for the film while at the festival. He will also be handing out Heater toques, which he predicts will be the new fashion trend of the day.

First Saskatoon Initiative film starts up

production began Dec. 16 on A Lucky Shot, a feature film produced by Regina’s Minds Eye Pictures in association with Thomega Productions of Saskatoon. A Lucky Shot is the first of eight action thrillers to be produced as part of Minds Eye’s recently announced

* Saskatoon Initiative.

Set in the resort town in Prince Albert National Park, two men on a hunting trip accidentally kill a park warden and then try to cover up the murder. The script is penned by Peter Layton and directed by Rob King (Something More).

Cast includes Craig Scheffer (A River Runs Through It), Jennifer Beals (Flashdance), Gabrielle Anwar (Scent of a Woman), Corey Haim (The Lost Boys), Ian Black (Big Bear) and Mel Melymich (Paris or Somewhere).

Production wraps Jan. 17.

The film will be distributed internationally by Saban International. Minds Eye International holds North American rights.

* Heartland’s Borderline Normal

Heartland Motion Pictures of Regina has just wrapped production on Borderline Normal, a low-budget feature directed by Jeff Beesley (Sparkle) and written by Larry Mollin, who headed the story department and executive produced Beverly Hills 90210. Ken Krawczyk (Incredible Story Studio) is the dop.

Borderline Normal is the coming-of-age-story of a 16-year-old boy caught in a custody battle between his recently divorced parents.

The film stars Stephanie Zimbalist (Remington Steele), Robin Dunne (Little Men, Dawson Creek), Caterina Scorsone (Psi Factor, Power Play), Michael Ironside (Top Gun) and Corbin Bernsen (L.A. Law)

Made without the participation of Telefilm Canada or the Canadian Television Fund, financing came by way of presales to TMN-The Movie Network, Superchannel, cbc, tax credits, Saskfilm and distribution advances from u.s. sales agent Patchett Kaufman Entertainment and l.a.-based international distributor World International Network. Heartland Releasing is distributing in Canada.

Heartland is anticipating a fall 2000 shoot in rural Saskatchewan on Through The Leaves, a Canada/u.k. coproduction with Tony Virgo’s TV Productions. The film is written by Kelly Rebar and chronicles the feminist awakenings of a multigenerational family of women living on a prairie farm in the 1950s. cbc has licensed the film.

Company principal Stephen Onda is developing Ion: Charged Adventure, an action-adventure series to be twinned with an Internet game. Set in the outer reaches of the galaxy, a cast of characters uses the principles of science to complete their adventures. Viewers can then click on the Internet site and explore the adventures further or be led through science activities and experiments. The Internet site has components for audiences as young as six and other activities suited to viewers up to the age of 14. The project is being codeveloped with Regina company Digital Media Works.

Heartland is in post on a documentary Wiring The Third World, which looks at the effects on Africa as the continent gets plugged in to the information age.

* Xmas special at Paquin

Winnipeg’s Paquin Entertainment recently wrapped production on a Fred Penner holiday special titled The Season. The one-hour special will air on cbc on Dec. 21 and 24. Patti Poskitt from Vancouver’s Deep Cove Creative produced and Geoff Johnson directed.

Prairie Production Centre open for business

the Prairie Production Centre in Winnipeg has landed its first projects – Children of My Heart, a tv movie coproduced by Buffalo Gal Pictures and Toronto’s Tapestry Films, is currently shooting in the 15,000-square-foot soundstage, and Dancing Without A Word, a feature starring Patrick Swayze and coproduced by Saskatchewan’s Minds Eye Pictures and Los Angeles-based Franchise Films, takes over the studio in January 2000 until April.

The next phase of construction is planned for next year and includes two additional soundstages (15,000 square feet and 7,500 square feet), post-production facilities, additional production offices, wardrobe and dressing rooms, and tenant space for industry-related businesses.

* Winnipeg Film Group celebrates 25

Dec. 27 marks the Winnipeg Film Group’s 25th anniversary. The film co-operative operates a theatre, a distribution company (with a library of more than 280 films), training and funding programs, and houses production equipment, editing facilities and a studio.

As part of the 25th anniversary celebrations, a collection of Winnipeg Film Group films is being screened in December and January at the Galerie Jeu de Paume in Paris in conjunction with the Canadian Embassy. A package of films will also tour South America early in 2000.

Among the 200 members of the Winnipeg Film Group are Guy Maddin (Twilight of the Ice Nymphs), John Paizs (Top of the Food Chain), Shereen Jerrett (Kid Nerd) and Noam Gonick (Guy Maddin: Waiting For Twilight).

* CFCN hands out cash

In the latest round of funding handed out by the CFCN Production Fund, scriptwriter development assistance went to Linda Kupecek for Rollovers and producer development money was awarded to Patenaude Communications for Sharing Visions, Anaid Productions/ Minds Eye Pictures for Mentors iii, Storyteller Productions for Stories From the Seventh Fire: The Series and Stone Productions’ Tom Stone.

Equity investment went to Illusions Entertainment for Framed, Smash It Up Productions for Jet Boy, Merry Dancer Media for Badlands, Bones & Bach, Westmount Productions/Three Rings Productions for God’s Explorers and White Iron Pictures/Westmount for The Snow Eater.

The CFCN Production Fund supports the Alberta production community.

The next application deadline is Friday, Jan. 14, 2000.

* Animated comedy at NFB

The Edmonton office of the National Film Board is in production on Fair Phyllis, an animated film about a 17th century shepherdess who, just like the women of today, juggles the many aspects of a busy life, but in this case her stresses include demanding lambs, expectant ewes and pesky wolves.

The comedy of manners is directed, animated and written by Beth Portman and produced by Jerry Krepakevich. Delivery is expected in late 2000.

* Mountain films tour world

Following screenings at last month’s Banff Mountain Film Festival, 37 mountain films have begun the 11th annual ‘Best of the Festival’ World Tour, which will stop in more than 160 cities in 22 countries around the globe. The tour includes North America, Europe, Asia/Pacific countries, Iceland, Chile and Mexico.

The Banff Centre for Mountain Culture produces the annual festival, now in its 24th year, which showcases films and videos on mountain subjects. This year’s films were selected from 138 entries representing 22 countries.

* CRTC centre opens

On Dec. 6, the crtc opened the doors of its new documentation centre in Edmonton. The new facility will provide access to documents and applications currently being considered by the commission, as well as historical information.

* Gone surfin’

Mediagopher.com, a new Internet information resource geared to the Alberta film and tv industry launches this month.

Produced by Devon and Kirsten Bolton of Calgary’s Double Vision Productions, the website provides directories of production and service companies, lists of directors, talent and crew, resource banks, bulletin boards, job postings and industry announcements. Companies outside of Alberta, whose services could be utilized by the local industry, are also being encouraged to add their names to the lists. The site also features e-cinema, chat rooms, news briefs on the industry and in-production lists.

Companies pay for membership privileges to the site, which includes access to the bulletin postings, a digital theatre where they can promote film and tv projects, posting privileges to market their businesses, an e-mail newsletter, and special discounts on services.

The site is designed for all aspects of the industry, from writers and producers to lawyers, casting companies, equipment houses, festivals, and any other companies which deal in the entertainment industry.

Kirsten Bolton describes the site as ‘a big digital watercooler where the art, business, technology and services of this industry can come together.’

Double Vision plans to roll out similar websites in other provinces.

* APTN digital studio opens

Phase one of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network’s new digital Winnipeg Broadcast Centre is complete and broadcasting is now taking place out of the 9,100-square-foot complex, built on Sony Betacam sx digital technology.

The broadcast and professional group of Sony of Canada designed the facility.

Phase two of the project, scheduled for completion later this month, includes the addition of editing suites.