A made for television movie tentatively entitled Mrs. Ashboro's Cat will be shot in Prince Edward Island this winter. The movie is a co-production between Shaftesbury Films of Toronto and Cellar Door Productions of Charlottetown. Pre-production, including site location, has already started. Shooting is expected to begin February 24.
Almost all of the work on the film will be done in Prince Edward Island. This is the first time so much of the work on such a large scale production has been done in the province.
The Atlantic Technology Centre, home to Cellar Door Productions, will house many of the production staff during the shoot. The Centre's sound stage and post-production facilities will also be used for portions of the work.
"This is very exciting news," said Development and Technology Minister Mike Currie. "Film and television have been identified as key sectors for development in this province. We have made investments in the Atlantic Technology Centre to develop our film and television industry. It's great to see that work providing benefits for Islanders."
Fifty-nine Islanders are expected to be employed on the project. That number includes a mixture of PEI film professionals and trainees. Budget for the movie is $2.8 million. Technology PEI has a $200,000 equity investment in the project. The movie will also be eligible for the Labour Rebate Program.
"We are thrilled to be shooting our first movie in Prince Edward Island," says Shaftesbury Productions Chairman, Christina Jennings. "The Island provides us with excellent site locations, and our partners in PEI have demonstrated a remarkable ability and willingness to promote local talent and resources for this picture."
Mrs. Ashboro's Cat has already been purchased by Animal Planet in the United States and by the Movie Channel in Canada.
Cellar Door CEO Gretha Rose says one of their goals with the movie is to maximize any potential benefits for the Island. "With our recent move to the ATC, Cellar Door's next stage of growth was to partner and produce larger budget live action properties that can be shot on PEI. Mrs. Ashboro's Cat is a perfect example of a co–production that benefits PEI as well as allowing more Islanders to work locally."
Cellar Door Productions has produced such well-known series as Eckhart, Chef at Large and the animated series Doodlez.
Shaftesbury Films is a Toronto-based company which has produced nine television movies including Torso, the Evelyn Dick Story (winner of the 2003 Gemini for best TV movie), and The Joanne Kilbourn Mysteries series. The company has also produced five feature films. In children's programming, they have produced 26 episodes of Screech Owls, the series, and Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang, a ninety minute feature film.
Technology PEI is the Government of Prince Edward Island's lead agency in the development, adoption and use of information technologies in business and community in the province.