As Playback was looking to close the issue you are holding, we received the sad – but not unexpected – news that we had lost our good friend and colleague, Leo Rice-Barker. Leo finally lost a valiant two-year battle with cancer at age 56, in effect silencing one of the strongest voices that this publication – or the Canadian film and TV industry, for that matter – ever had.

Vancouver: One of Glen Morgan’s main objectives with his new horror film, Black Christmas, is to please Bob Clark.

Vancouver – A Night at the Museum from 1492 Pictures is shooting in Vancouver through April. The 20th Century Fox comedy, about a night watchman who accidentally unleashes an ancient curse, is directed by Shawn Levy (The Pink Panther), with Levy, Chris Columbus (Rent) and Michael Barnathan (Fantastic Four) producing. Tom Hammel (The Day After Tomorrow) and Ira Shuman (Just Married) are the executive producers. It stars Ben Stiller and film vets Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney, and should hit theaters in November.

Vancouver – The Revolution Studios thriller Wind Chill, about students who are terrorized by ghosts on a desolate stretch of highway, began shooting in Vancouver on Feb. 1. The Blue Print Pictures/Section Eight production is directed by Gregory Jacobs (Criminal) from a script by Steven Katz (Shadow of the Vampire) and Joe Gangemi.

Vancouver – Ryan Reynolds is back in Vancouver shooting the comedy Chaos Theory, about a man whose life degenerates into personal chaos, for Warner Independent Pictures and prodco Castle Rock Entertainment. Marcos Siega (Pretty Persuasion) is helming from Dan Taplitz’s (WW3) script.

Toronto – Originally set for January, the debut of the sci-fi toon Skyland has been pushed back over concerns that its ongoing production might not keep up with its broadcast schedule.

Calgary – Alberta ski destinations Sunshine Village and Fortress Mountain are standing in for Kilimanjaro and Everest on the new A&E MOW Touch the Top of the World: The Erik Weihenmayer Story, now halfway through shooting.

Montreal – Galafilm heads into post-production this month on one of Discovery Channel Canada’s largest original productions to date, Mars Rising. The $5-million-plus 6 x 60 doc series is being completely financed by Discovery and explores ongoing plans to put a human on the red planet.

Montreal – Two filmmakers with an avid interest in the city’s cultural history are creating a documentary about one of its largely forgotten photographers.

* First-timer Armand Ruffo is directing the screen version of his play A Windigo Tale in the Hamilton, ON area until March. Steve McNamee and Jeremy Freiburger produce.

As telecoms and cablers muddy the line between voice and data – as well as the PC and the TV set – content makers such as Nelvana are increasingly finding themselves in the pole position in the race for household digital integration.

The digital revolution will factor heavily into this year’s KidScreen Summit, as top experts and executives in kids programming and marketing converge on the Big Apple for the conference’s seventh edition. This year’s summit will run at the New York Hilton, Feb. 8-10.