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Paperny takes off
Vancouver filmmaker David Paperny is again putting his love of documentaries into a series of new shows and specials for nonfiction channels on both sides of the border.
Talelight, Equinoxe ink three-pic deal
Vancouver’s fledgling Talelight Films has inked a copro and distribution deal with Montreal’s Equinoxe Films that will see founders James Upton and Jeff Richards jointly produce three features with Equinoxe COO and SVP Michael Mosca.
Romero returns
Zombie king George Romero (Land of the Dead) has again brought his shambling, shuffling costars back to Toronto for the six-week shoot of his latest, Diary of the Dead. The picture wraps this month and is expected in 2007 via Voltage Pictures (Flyboys). Joshua Close (The Man Who Lost Himself), Michelle Morgan (Alien Fire) and Shawn Roberts (Skinwalkers) star.
Briefly
* Douglas Coupland is developing a series for CBC based on his recent novel jPod. He has also written a pilot script for Extinction Event, a sci-fi series in the works at True West Films.
Producer, talent groups call for more primetime drama
With the phrase ‘taking back our prime time,’ the CFTPA captures the spirit of its submission – as well as those of several unions and guilds – to the CRTC’s forthcoming over-the-air television review.
QFTC looks to broker Quebec union spat
Montreal: Hans Fraikin admits he’s got his hands full. The film commissioner for the new Quebec Film and Television Council, marking his first six months in office, is working on a number of fronts, but most importantly in helping to resolve the dispute between the two technicians unions in the province.
UBCP awaits outcome of Toronto IPA talks
Vancouver: Efforts to strike a new B.C. Master Production Agreement between the Union of British Columbia Performers and U.S. and Canadian producers will be influenced by the outcome of Toronto negotiations between ACTRA and the CFTPA and Quebec-based APFTQ. Those talks were deadlocked as of early November, with conciliators being brought in.
WIDC: 10 years at the helm
Carol Whiteman had a revelation while serving as chair of ACTRA B.C.’s women’s committee in 1995. She was involved in a series of panel discussions with successful women in the industry, when a survey of the participants after the fact yielded some interesting results.
Demand growing for Actors’ Fund
The Actors’ Fund of Canada reports that demand for its services has nearly doubled over the past five years. The industry-supported charitable organization – a resource for unemployed entertainment workers – is delivering about $400,000 per year in emergency aid, for a total of $3 million over the past 10 years.
CBC takes early lead at Geminis
True to form, so far CBC is leading this year’s Gemini awards, sweeping categories in news, comedy and drama during the first round of the annual TV awards earlier this month in Toronto.
At press time
Telefilm Canada has announced sweeping changes to the Canada Feature Film Fund in a bid to put more English- and French-language films on screens. The changes take effect next year and include easier access for English producers to ‘performance envelope’ funding.
Theron, Townsend wander west
It’s a Canadian affair once more for Charlize Theron and longtime Irish beau Stuart Townsend, who are now filming projects in Regina and Vancouver until early December.
Cronenberg film takes top prizes at DGC Awards
A History of Violence took four statues – for best film, director, sound editing and picture editing – at the fifth annual Directors Guild of Canada Awards on Oct. 14 in Toronto, beating out Atom Egoyan’s sexy noir Where the Truth Lies in all but one of its nominated categories.
Briefs
Lee goes for gold
Radio-Canada leads Gemeaux nominations
Montreal: Radio-Canada leads the nominations for the upcoming Prix Gemeaux with its cancelled comedy about four drag queens, Cover Girl, topping the list with 12 nods, including best comedy series and two best director noms, for François Bouvier and Louis Choquette. The sitcom by Sphère Média Plus is followed closely by SRC’s nightclub drama Minuit, le soir and its mystery series La Chambre No. 13 with 10 each.
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