Montreal: The Jean Claude Lord holiday fantasy film Station Nord opens as a young postman loses his way in a forest on a dark, snowy evening. Saved by an elf, he's taken to Pere Noel's secret village and spends many years managing the "magic workshop's" mailroom until one fateful day he receives a letter from a desperate little girl asking for help.

"This is the first time in Quebec cinema [history] that we have a Quebecois Santa Claus," notes producer Pierre Gendron of Bloom Films.

The $4.3-million movie is a coproduction between Bloom and Z Productions producers Paul Allard and Daniel Morin. Morin and Denyse Benoit wrote the screenplay in association with director Lord (Diva, Lobby).

Gendron says the film is among the first Canadian features shot in HD 24P (Sony camera system, Panavision lens). Footage will be transferred to 35mm for a 60-plus-print theatrical release by distrib Equinox Entertainment later this fall. Gendron says DOP Serge Desrosiers has experience in HD on the new Lance et compte, but the producers are motivated by the significant time savings with HD and the film's extensive digital F/X from Tubes Studios producers Dean Lewis and Pierre Couture. "They are very competitive and I worked with them on [the La Fete drama series] L'Or," says Gendron. HD tests were conducted in Toronto and at George Lucas' E Film lab in L.A. CGI and art direction on the shoot represent costs of more than $1 million.

Cast includes Xavier Morin-Lefort as Samuel the postman, Lansana Kourouma, Catherine Florent, Genevieve Dery, Nathalie Simard in the role of Comete, Gaston Lepage and Louis-Georges Girard.

Claude Palardy (Jasmine) is editing the picture at Global Vision's brand new HD post/edit centre. Multi Vet is doing the post synch and Covitec is handling the sound mix. Choice of lab is yet to be determined.

Locations for the shoot (done in two blocks, April 7-12 and June 25 to July 21) include the rural Rawdon region and the Olympic Stadium, converted into the Palais des Ours/Station Nord. Investors include Telefilm Canada, SODEC, Fonds Harold Greenberg and Equinox, which has Canada and world rights, and the producers, who are the guarantors for the sponsorship investment. "Equinox has supported the project since the beginning and they've put in a lot of money," says Gendron.

The producer says he's motivated by a project's unique appeal, be it film or TV.

Bloom is in early prep on the Alain DesRochers feature Le Tunnel, a psycho drama from screenwriter Paul Ohl based on the Marcel Talon novel Et ca saute!.

More Quebec movies

Telefilm Canada's Quebec operations office has announced new production investments in four French-language feature films and two English-language features.

The French projects are being funded through the Canada Feature Film Fund selective fund resources or through a mix of selective and performance funds, in those cases where a production company has a reserved or performance envelope.

New French-language production includes:

* Il Etait des fois, a comedy from Cinemaginaire producer Denise Robert, director Denise Filiatrault (Laura Cadieux, Laura Cadieux...la suite) and distrib Alliance Atlantis Vivafilm;

* 20h17, a contemporary drama from Corporation de developpement et de production ACPAV producer Bernadette Payeur, director Bernard Emond (La Femme qui boit) and Christal Films Distribution;

* the historical drama Seraphin Poudrier from Cite-Amerique Cinema Television producers Lorraine Richard and Louis Laverdiere, director Charles Biname and AAV; and

* Comment ma mere accoucha de moi pendant sa menopause, described as "an intellectual comedy" from Studiofilm (Max Films) producers Roger Frappier and Luc Vandal, and first-time feature director Sebastien Rose, with the participation of distrib AAV.

On the English side, the agency announced support for:

* the big-budget family film adventure Mariposa Azul from Galafilm Production producers Francine Allaire and Arnie Gelbart, director Lea Pool (Lost & Delirious) and distrib Film Tonic; and

* the latest Tales for All movie Regina, a musical comedy minority coproduction (with Iceland) from Productions La Fete producers Rock Demers and Chantal Lafleur and director Maria Sigurdardottir.

This year, Telefilm's Quebec operations office, headed by director Joelle Levie, has received 53 French-language feature film production applications, with 12 accepted.

Levie says there's about $2.2 million (in selective and LFP funds) remaining for French-track movies in 2001/02. The next deadline is Sept. 17.

On the English side, Telefilm has accepted two of 11 Quebec production applications this year. Levie says the agency has received other interesting English-track feature film proposals, with the hope, or likelihood, more resources will become available in September. "There are perhaps two projects pending that we would like to finance if money becomes available," she says.

The French-language selective envelope (development and production/EIP and LFP) for 2001/02 is approximately $12.6 million. Total resources for French-track features this year is close to $23 million. Levie anticipates a selective production and development envelope of $3.5 million (EIP and LFP) for English-track movies.

Levie says concerns the new CFFF performance-enhanced regime will mean only commercial comedies get funded are clearly unfounded.