CHUM’s Paul Gratton is VP and GM of Space: The Imagination Station and Drive-In Classics and station manager of Bravo! NewStyleArtsChannel. At Banff he will be sitting on a State of Television panel for a session entitled National Cinema – Box Office or Broadcast?, which explores realistic objectives in developing Canuck movies, particularly in English Canada.

Vancouver: For a handful of Vancouver-based producers, there is a yin and yang to their business plans – or perhaps, more specifically, a yen and Yank.

The Alberta film production industry has traditionally been hit-and-miss in attracting the high-profile productions that would bring the likes of Access Hollywood or Entertainment Tonight to town in tow. Despite the province’s variable track record – which does include Unforgiven and some of the Christopher Reeve Superman movies – recent coups such as the Kevin Costner western Open Range and scenes from X2 might be pointing the way to a more steady stream of big productions coming to shoot.

If the casts and crews of Alberta-based film and TV productions are wary of eating the province’s beef after the recent ‘mad cow disease’ scare, local caterers are ready to offer up plenty of alternatives.

Winnipeg is gearing up for what is being heralded as its biggest production ever, when Miramax brings the musical feature Shall We Dance? to town June 23 for a 10-week shoot.

Canadian Comedy Award winner Brent Butt is ramping up to star in Corner Gas, the first CTV series shot entirely in Saskatchewan.

Vancouver: It’s getting more expensive to attend National Lampoon’s Family Reunion. With the Canadian loonie flying high, the cost of currency exchange for the U.S. production gearing up in Vancouver is starting to mount for West Coast service producer James Shavick.
‘It’s a problem,’ says Shavick of the improving Canadian dollar. ‘Preproduction has started and the costs are containable. But you have to have a jaundiced eye toward the budget and make changes. Kodak isn’t about to lower its prices and the actors aren’t working for less. That means we have to beat up our suppliers.’

Since taking over as president of CTV last fall, Rick Brace has been quietly steering his company away from troubled projects undertaken in the convergence-happy heyday of the late ’90s. Following the retirement of network grande dame Trina McQueen, Brace was called up from his post as head of the net’s many specialty channels.
Playback talked with Brace at the CTV head office about the near future of the network and its cross-media plans – touching on the fate of the digichannels, diversity and the CTF along the way.

Toronto’s Alliance Atlantis Communications has promised the largest launch ever for a Canadian film and it appears poised to deliver, with partners CHUM and Famous Players in tow.
The object of this vigorous effort is Foolproof, the sophomore feature from director William Phillips (Treed Murray). Jim Sherry, president of AAC’s Canadian theatrical distribution department, says the P&A budget for the film in Canada will be north of $2 million.

First, the good news. The spring EIP decisions, announced May 6 by Telefilm Canada and the Canadian Television Fund, have breathed new life into many popular and high-profile shows that, due to lack of LFP funds, have had one foot in the grave since April. The Red Green Show, The Eleventh Hour and three MOWs for CTV are among the 70 shows that scored a total of $67 million.

The fall schedule for Craig Media stations took shape this month with news that the chain has picked up both syndicated talker The Wayne Brady Show and the exclusive English-language rights for the NFL’s Monday Night Football. Both shows will air this fall on Craig’s A-Channel outlets in the Prairies, and on toronto|one, due to launch in September.

Vancouver: Fans of The West Wing may lament the change of creative management at the hit White House series with the departure of creator Aaron Sorkin next season. But no similar quality-control hand-wringing needs to happen for fans of CBC’s Da Vinci’s Inquest after creator Chris Haddock’s landmark deal to produce The Handler for CBS next fall.

Vancouver: While its creative and business management is in Los Angeles and Eastern Canada, Lions Gate Entertainment remains a Vancouver-based company, even with the retirement of its Vancouver-based chairman and founder Frank Giustra.

NFB, U.K. sign funding pact

Vancouver: It was B.C. producer Trish Dolman’s Leo weekend May 9 and 10 with her productions taking 12 trophies at Vancouver’s 2003 Leo Awards, a fifth-annual event created to recognize the film and television production work of B.C. residents.