The Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund spent more that $5.5 million on 37 projects last year, according to its recent annual report. This is a slight drop from spending in 2003, which totaled roughly $6 million spread over 48 projects. The decline is attributed to the 40% cut to the fund’s budget in ’03 by the crtc.

Vancouver: Production runs June 6 to July 29 in Kelowna and the Okanagan on Vancouver-based Anagram Pictures’ $11-million feature Fido. A zombie film that writer/director and Anagram producer Andrew Currie has had in development for almost a decade, Fido is about a boy with a domesticated pet zombie named Fido (played by Scottish comedian Billy Connolly), who gets them both into trouble after eating a neighbor.

Winnipeg: Near the end of shooting on 2003’s The Saddest Music in the World, star Isabella Rossellini began speaking with director Guy Maddin about a potential short marking the 2006 centenary of the birth of her father, the late film director Roberto Rossellini. Now, the 17-minute film, My Dad Is 100 Years Old, is in post and will likely premiere on the festival circuit next year.

Palpable Productions and Acuity Pictures have wrapped on the feature Whole New Thing from director Amnon Buchbinder (The Fishing Trip). The film, written by Buchbinder and Daniel MacIvor (Wilby Wonderful), is about a young man who comes from a very sexually open family. At 13, he develops his first real crush, on his teacher, Don.

Crossover between the interactive and broadcast sectors is ramping up like never before, and so it only makes sense that a congregation of broadcasters is a place where the new media industry should also be.

The CFTPA has elected Ira Levy of Toronto’s Breakthrough Films & Television as its new chairperson. Levy, who takes over from Laszlo Barna, says he is ‘delighted and thrilled’ by the job and that, as chair, he will work to see the Canadian Television Fund reformed.

The aptly named series The Collector was the big winner at this year’s Leo Awards, walking off with 10 trophies for its first season, including those for best dramatic series, best direction, cinematography and nods for best male and female guest performances.

The results are in and $99.2 million has gone out. The Canadian Television Fund on May 16 made its decisions for the coming season and has put cash into 36 new and returning English-language dramas, handing out 66% of the total dollars requested by casters earlier this year.

The Canadian Cable Telecommunications Association is calling on Ottawa and the CRTC to encourage investment in broadband networks in order to avoid the creation of monopolies and to encourage broadband-focused production.

This year’s sixth annual Toronto Documentary Forum will provide more opportunities for filmmakers seeking funding and will give broadcasters a stronger voice at the proceedings. The new initiatives come after event director Michaelle McLean did an evaluation of TDF’s first five years.

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