Writers: Tim Lee, Doug Bagot – Director: Jerry Ciccoritti – Cameraman: David Perrault – Producer: Stavros Stavrides – Diary by: Pamela Swedko

In 1993, when Arto Pelli producer Stavros Stavrides first discovers the original script for the romantic comedy Boy Meets Girl, ‘the genre,’ as he puts it, ‘was not in vogue.’ But by 1996 the tide had changed and after years in development limbo the project is ready to go.

A modern-day fairy tale set in Toronto’s Little Italy, Boy Meets Girl is supposed to roll in spring ’96, but after several financial setbacks shooting doesn’t get underway until the winter of ’97 – only 36 short hours after financing on the $4.2-million film is in place.

The story follows the turn of events when a magical poem written by Il Magnifico (an unassuming wallpaper man played by Joe Mantegna) blows out the window and is discovered by Angelina (Emily Hampshire), a waitress who believes the author is Mike (Sean Astin), a cynical writer.

April 1993: Stavros Stavrides reads the script for Boy Meets Girl, penned by Timothy Lee and Douglas Bagot. A lengthy development process begins, starting with sharpening the creative to turn the film into a comment on the romantic-comedy genre itself.

Over the next four-and-a-half years, around $70,000 in development money drips in from the Harold Greenberg Fund, the Ontario Film Development Corporation and Telefilm Canada combined.

Early 1997: Stavrides signs a deal for the Canadian broadcast licence with WIC Western International Communications, Super Channel and TMN-The Movie Network to trigger the ctcpf.

Spring 1997: At mip-tv, talks begin between Stavrides and London-based gap financier Screen Partners and Australia’s Beyond Films, which both express serious interest in the property. Film Tonic distribute in Canada.

Summer 1997: Georges Mihalka is slated to direct. Then Telefilm passes on Boy Meets Girl as an equity investment project.

September 1997: Stavrides discovers that the only ctcpf funds still available are in the cbc envelope. The producer goes back to wic and explains the situation. wic graciously backs out of the deal and Stavrides pitches the cbc.

Finally, some positive news for the producer; cbc announces it is willing to take on Boy Meets Girl and the cbc ctcpf envelope can be accessed. But with the good news comes bad. With all the delays in getting to camera, Mihalka and the cast walk away from the project. The search is on for a new director.

October 1997: Someone suggests Jerry Ciccoritti, whose credits include Net Worth, e.n.g., Due South and Cops, but no romantic comedies. The two meet and Ciccoritti delivers his vision of the story: ‘Fellini does Breakfast At Tiffany.’

‘I wanted to push down the buddy comedy, Pauly Shore stuff, and bring up the Audrey Hepburn qualities and shoot it like an old Technicolor Hollywood film, very stylized and glamorous,’ says Ciccoritti.

Stavrides likes it.

Ciccoritti is in and they immediately begin revising the script so that the springtime story can be shot as a Valentine’s Day tale.

Casting begins again and they choose Sean Astin (The Goonies, Rudy) for the role of Mike.

November 1997: Mid-month, while preparing the shoot, a portion of the gap financing falls through. Stavrides puts in a call to Germany’s ProSebien, which likes the movie and antes up about $500,000 for the broadcast licence.

With a $150,000 line of credit from the bank and the financing still not closed, Stavrides proceeds to prep the movie, which he describes as the scariest time of his life.

December 1997: Five weeks into prep the sets are built, a crew is hired, and money they don’t necessarily have is already spent.

Two days before shooting is scheduled to take place, all deals are closed.

January 1998: The 28-day shoot wraps.

June 1998: Boy Meets Girl screens at the Cologne Conference in Germany.

September 1998: Boy Meets Girl makes its Canadian premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Public screenings:

Saturday, Sept. 12, 7 p.m.

Uptown 3

Sunday, Sept. 13, 1:45 p.m.

Cumberland/Alliance 1

Press & industry screenings:

See Website for daily updates: www.bell.ca/filmfest