Sarah Polley, Brendan Fletcher and Diane Ladd are set to lead the cast in John Greyson’s Law of Inclosures, coproduced by Winnipeg’s Buffalo Gal Pictures and Damon D’Oliveira.

Principal photography on the feature begins Sept. 26 in Winnipeg. Law of Inclosures, which examines a couple’s relationship over a 40-year span, is adapted from the book by Dayle Peck, who cowrote with Greyson. Odeon Films is the Canadian and foreign distributor. No broadcasters have been lined up as yet.

Tentative start date for the tv movie Children Of My Heart, a coproduction by Buffalo Gal and Tapestry Films of Toronto, is Nov. 22. Keith Leckie will direct the $4-million picture, based on a Gabrielle Roy novel about a teacher’s experiences in a small Prairie town. The A-Channel Drama Fund has licensed the project. No word on cast as yet.

*Wraps & starts at Nomadic

Chad Oakes and Mike Frislev of Calgary-based Nomadic Pictures are executive producers on The Art of Murder, a thriller which just wrapped in Vancouver. Produced by Sodona Entertainment, the feature stars Michael Moriarty, Joanna Pacula, Boyd Kestner and Peter Onorati. Producers for Sodona are Vicki Sotheran and Greg Malcolm.

Next up for Oakes and Frislev is Maneater, a coproduction with l.a.-based Skyler Entertainment, tentatively slated for a late October shoot just outside Calgary. Casting is now underway on this story of a group of guys who go hunting and find an unusual town in the forest. A director has not been attached.

A broadcaster is currently being sought to complete financing on the $1.5-million picture, which includes private equity, presales, and American distributor Unipix. Skyler holds foreign rights. Canada is still wide open. Alex Fieglein of Skyler is exec producer.

Still in development at Nomadic is the $7.5-million feature Saving Graces, about a group of young army brats who rescue the last wild horses in North America off a Southern Alberta military range. Based on actual events which occurred in the early ’90s, the script was penned by David Campbell, with a new rewrite by David Shultz.

The shoot is slated for next May as a Danish/Canadian coproduction between Svendsen Films and Nomadic. The director will be Danish, says Oakes, but has not been confirmed. Canadian rights have been sold to A-Channel and Motion International.

*Four Square looks to international market

Four Square Productions of Regina has established a niche for itself in international coproductions, the latest being Nai Nai’s Nightmare, a joint venture with China’s Jiangsu Television. The one-hour doc explores the Rape of Nanjing massacre, taken from the perspective of a Calgary family which lost relatives in the 1937/38 tragedy, and some of whom witnessed the occurrence.

Production began Sept. 10 in China on a $250,000 budget, with some additional footage to be shot in Calgary. Nai Nai’s Nightmare has been sold to History Television as part of the broadcasters’ War Stories series and to scn. Four Square is marketing the project internationally as the second installment in its Scarred By History anthology.

Also for History’s War Stories strand and scn is Paradise Lost, based on a book by Montreal writer Elaine Naves titled Return to Vaja, which chronicles a family’s experiences during the Holocaust in Hungary. Principal photography is set for March 2000 in Hungary and Montreal. A foreign partner is still being lined up on the $250,000 one-hour.

On tap for a February 2000 start is Sister Kay, a coproduction with the National Film Board and Noga Communications of Tel Aviv, Israel.

The one-hour project is the story of Sister Kay McDonald, dubbed ‘the Pope of all nuns,’ who worked her way up the ranks to become Superior General of all the orders of the Catholic Church and was instrumental in changing the Church’s doctrine toward Jews.

The $325,000 one-hour has been sold to ctv, Vision tv, tfo (for a French-language version) and scn.

Principal photography will cross continents with shoots in Saskatoon, Toronto, Montreal, Rome and Jerusalem.

*A Woman is a Helluva Thing

John Aaron Productions of Winnipeg will shoot its third coproduction with Regent Entertainment this year, beginning Sept. 30.

The title is sure to pique interest – A Woman is a Helluva Thing – as is the storyline – a serial womanizer and publisher of Man’s World, a popular magazine espousing its creator’s macho creed, finds himself cheated out of his deceased mother’s ranch by an ex-girlfriend named executrix of her estate.

Karen Lee Hopkins is the writer and director of the $2.5-million picture. Casting is now underway in l.a. and Toronto, with additional roles to be cast in Winnipeg. Principal photography will run three weeks in and around Winnipeg.

*L.A. invite for Kelly’s short

Manitoba filmmaker Paula Kelly’s half-hour drama Epiphany Rules has been invited to screen at the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival, Oct. 1-3, where it will receive its American premiere. The film, produced by Winnipeg’s Buffalo Gal Pictures, was also accepted into the International Film Festival of Figueira da Foz in Lisbon Portugal, which wrapped Sept. 12.

Epiphany Rules, written by Kelly, is the story of three people living on the margins whose lives become intertwined and eventually collide.

The film has been picked up for international sales by Omni Short Film Distribution of l.a. In Canada, Manitoba Television Network and wtn both bought the $99,000 film at script stage. Kelly also picked up support from Manitoba Film and Sound, Telefilm Canada and the Manitoba Arts Council.

Epiphany Rules received its Canadian premiere in Winnipeg at the 1999 Local Heroes International Screen Festival.

Kelly is now at work on The Notorious Mrs. Armstrong, a historical biography of Helen Armstrong, a force to be reckoned with during the women’s labor movement in the early part of the century, particularly during the Winnipeg General Strike, where she spoke out on the plight of working women. Kelly has found a granddaughter who has many memories of the activist, as well as archival material.

CBC Manitoba has licensed a version of the one-hour film and wtn and History Television have indicated interest, says Kelly. Buffalo Gal is producing.

Kelly is also developing a feature-length script, The Emancipation of Emily Blake, based on the life of a British workhouse orphan sent into domestic service in Canada at the turn of the century. Blake eventually became embroiled in a love affair with her Brandon, Man. employer which ended in murder. ‘The film will try to unravel this mysterious and complex character, this fascinating and imaginative woman,’ says Kelly.

Kelly’s Journey Films will coproduce with Buffalo Gal.

*NFB Edmonton activity

The National Film Board’s Edmonton office is in production on Death of a Skyline, a $340,000, 60-minute documentary examining the disappearance of prairie grain elevators, the seven-storey high, slope-shouldered buildings which dotted the prairie landscape for over a century but are now being torn down at a rate of 150 per year.

The doc is written by Jim Warner and directed by Bryan Smith. Producer for the nfb is Jerry Krepakevich and exec producer is Graydon McCrea. The shoot wraps in May 2000. No broadcasters have been approached as yet.

Krepakevich and McCrea are also working on The Honour of the Crown, which takes a behind-the-scenes look at the Smith’s Landing Chippewa band’s struggle to resolve a 100-year-old land claims dispute with the Alberta and Canadian governments. The $445,000, 48-minute film, directed by Tom Radford, is in post-production.

*Frantic garners attention

Frantic Films is currently working on the visual effects for John Aaron Productions/Regent Entertainment’s Nostradamus. The Winnipeg effects house recently picked up an added boost with an Emmy Award nomination. Frantic partner Chris Bond was nominated in the category of outstanding visual effects for a miniseries or movie for his work on Stephen King’s Storm of the Century.

‘It’s a door-opener – it really establishes credibility for a small shop,’ says Frantic co-owner Ken Zorniak of the u.s. recognition. ‘Many companies have been burnt by small effects shops, so it helps break down the barriers.’

It also encourages foreign producers shooting in Winnipeg to keep post in the province, he adds.

Frantic is also working on station ids and show openers for Vancouver Television and just wrapped effects on the 3D stereo ride film Manitoba Experience, produced by Credo Entertainment.

*New MMPIA board

Phyllis Laing, president of Buffalo Gal Pictures, was recently elected chair of the Manitoba Motion Picture Industries Association.

The 1999/2000 executive also includes vice-chair finance Derek Mazur (Credo Entertainment), vice-chair policy Paula Kelly (Journey Films), secretary Byrnes Benoit (Spectra Video), treasurer Paul Sweatman (Credo), and member at large Darlene Mulligan (Visual Productions).

Other board members include cbc’s Jane Chalmers, Norma Bailey (Willow Island Films), Jack Clements (John Aaron Productions), Lisa Collins (Assante Corporation), Kevin Dunn (MidCanada Production Services), Vonnie Von Helmolt, Deanne Rhode (IATSE Local 856), Jan Skene (actra), and Ellen Rutter (Directors Guild of Canada, Manitoba District Council).

*Early notice

Reel Revel, a celebration of Saskatchewan film and video, will unspool Oct. 25-30 in Saskatoon.

While festival details are still being firmed up, the itinerary so far includes screenings at the Broadway Theatre and panel discussions and seminars on a host of topics, ranging from pitching projects and making feature films to marketing finished productions.

As well, emerging directors will be able to work with local actors in a three-day intensive Peak Performance Workshop offered by the National Screen Institute – Canada.

Reel Revel runs every second year, alternating with the Saskatchewan Showcase, which is held in Regina and features an awards competition in addition to screenings and seminars. Both festivals are run by the Saskatchewan Motion Picture Industries Association.