Nova Scotia is hosting several major service productions this summer, attracting big-name stars including Billy Bob Thornton, Milla Jovovich, Rob Lowe and Julia Ormond. However, the story of the summer is the feature adaptation of the homegrown comedy series Trailer Park Boys, which brings together the best in Canadian TV comedy with one of the big screen’s most successful comedy talents.

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.

British actors Richard E. Grant (Bright Young Things) and Joss Ackland (K-19: The Widowmaker) have joined Canuck thesps Mark Critch (This Hour Has 22 Minutes), Steve Cochrane and Mark O’Brien on the CBC miniseries Above and Beyond, which began shooting June 20 in Newfoundland. The project is a copro between St. John’s-based Pope Productions and Toronto’s Shaftesbury Films.

The seventh annual Strategic Partners Conference, running Sept. 16-18 in Halifax during the first weekend of the 25th Atlantic Film Festival, is ramping up for a key year, as coproduction continues to fuel worldwide markets, and as the event’s reputation for successfully introducing international partners has grown significantly over the last several years.

Halifax to finally fade in on Fade Out

!!

!!

Banff, AB: Heritage Minister Liza Frulla gave industry stakeholders what many had hoped for when she kicked off the Banff World Television Festival by announcing an overhaul of the governance and administration of Canadian TV funding, although details remain sketchy.
The changes will see the Canadian Television Fund’s board take on all responsibility for governance, while Telefilm Canada will administer the fund, in what Frulla describes as a ‘contractual relationship’ with the CTF.

Theater chain Cineplex Galaxy has purchased Famous Players for $500 million, effectively redrawing the map of movie exhibition in Canada by consuming its archrival, while at the same time opening the door for new competitors.

It was a big night at the Banff Rockie Awards for the BBC, as the Brit pubcaster walked away with the $50,000 Global Television Grand Prize and a half-dozen category prizes. The presentation took place June 13 as part of the Banff World Television Festival.

Phyllis Yaffe has moved up to the top spot at Alliance Atlantis Communications, taking over the CEO job from cofounder Michael MacMillan, who has sidestepped from the company’s day-to-day operations to focus on long-term planning.