A prominent Saskatchewan producer reports that production in his province has been solid in 2007, with a couple of features on the go, including one of his own.

Poised to coproduce a $7.3-million feature with France, Minds Eye Pictures principal Kevin DeWalt was feeling anything but Walled In, the literal title of the psychological thriller that went to camera Oct. 23 in Regina.

‘It’s definitely been busy,’ says DeWalt. ‘On a production level, it’s been consistent from the beginning of the year.’

Minds Eye is coproducing Walled In with Experiences Films and Forecast Pictures, both of France.

Based on the book Les Emmurés by French writer Serge Brussolo, Walled In follows a demolition company rep who discovers bodies have been entombed in a mysterious building.

Starring Mischa Barton (The O.C.) and Canadians Deborah Kara Unger (Shake Hands with the Devil) and Cameron Bright (Juno), the 30-day shoot is mainly at Regina’s Canada Saskatchewan Production Studios.

Minds Eye International has rights in Canada, with QED handling the U.S. and Leomax Entertainment foreign rights.

Another $3-million Canadian feature – 45 RPM – is shooting in Saskatchewan with a hybrid financial structure from three provinces, including Ontario and Alberta.

‘We didn’t just come [here] for the credits,’ says producer Mike Frislev of Calgary’s Nomadic Pictures, in an interview from the set near Craven, a southern town standing in as the northern fictional town of Goose Lake. ‘The locations have been wonderful.’

Frislev and his Nomadic partner Chad Oakes (Broken Trail) joined forces with Saskatchewan coproducer Anand Ramayya (Wapos Bay) and Toronto’s Don Carmody (Silent Hill) as exec producer.

Written and directed by Saskatoon’s Dave Schultz (Jet Boy), 45 RPM is a 1950s coming-of-age story starring Michael Madsen, August Schellenberg and Amanda Plummer.

The Cold War tale takes us to a rooftop where two teenagers listen to big-city stations on their transistor radios. A New York station, which introduces them to rock ‘n’ roll, is running a contest that could ‘be their ticket out of Dodge,’ Frislev explains.

45 RPM required mainly locations for the 18-day shoot, so the producers set up camp in the province, where they can claim tax credits equalling 55% of eligible labor costs. They also claim credits in Alberta, where post will be handled.