Vancouver: Miss Texas, a two-by-two-hour miniseries for Sat 1 in Germany, is the first German service production for West Coast-based True West Films since founder Elizabeth Yake joined with her German partner Henrik Meyer in May.

Telefilm Canada executive director Richard Stursberg’s surprising defection to the CBC partway through his five-year mandate has left the federal funding agency and the rest of the Canadian film and television sector slack-jawed and mired in speculation.

Vancouver: Facing a dwindling budget, British Columbia Film has gone back to the innovation well and come up with its Slate Development Fund, a new program, the first of its kind in Canada, that will provide support for the development and marketing of film and TV projects, handing over a three-year envelope of up to $225,000 to between six and 10 B.C.-based producers this year.

In the myth of Atlantis, the ancient city sinks below the waves, never to be found.

CHUM Ltd. has put up $34.8 million in benefits packages related to its proposed purchase of Craig Media. According to recently released CRTC documents, the Toronto broadcaster, seeking fed approval to buy its troubled rival, is pledging to assume Craig’s $14.8 million in outstanding production commitments – promised through the A-Channel and Toronto 1 station launches – and will add another $20 million in benefits all its own.

Canadian broadcasters are starkly divided about the CRTC’s proposed advertising incentives to kick start the woebegone genre of English-language drama – with CTV and Global in position for windfalls and CHUM recommending that the bonuses die on the vine.

Vancouver: In Victoria, direct film production spending is running about even with last year’s record pace with $9.2 million spent in 2004 so far.

Vancouver: CHUM Television’s The New VI in Victoria laid off 29 full- and part-time employees July 7 as part of a restructuring that also includes changes in programming and management.

Canada is well stocked with screenwriting programs, but is low on training for producers and directors. There is a dearth of production training in Northern and Atlantic Canada, but an overabundance of the same in Vancouver and Toronto. Short film producers have more skills development programs than feature filmmakers.