Press release from Contact Films
Executive Producers Tom Berry (President of Montreal-based Premiere Bobine), Pierre David (President of Imagination Worldwide) and Antony I. Ginnane (President of F G Film Productions Australia) today announced the commencement of principal photography on location in Tasmania, Australia of the new sci-fi action disaster thriller “Arctic Blast”.
An official Australia-Canada co-production, “Arctic Blast” stars Michael Shanks (“Stargate”, “Burn Notice”, “Desperate Escape”) and is being helmed by legendary director Brian Trenchard-Smith, making his first down under production in over 10 years.
Written by Jason Bourque, “Arctic Blast” tells the chilling story of a mega ice fog caused by a rip in the earth’s upper atmosphere over the South Pole. The killer fog grows in size and fury and moves northward from the polar wastes destroying everything in its path.
As similar rifts appear above cities around the world, only Jack (Michael Shanks), a maverick US meteorologist on the ground in Hobart and his small team of climate researchers based in Australia and the US, can save the world from imminent destruction and at the same time reconcile himself with his estranged wife Emma (Alexandra Davies “X Men Origins – Wolverine”) and his daughter Andrea (Indiana Evans).
Produced by Gina Black and Stefan Wodoslawsky, the film will post produce in Montreal Quebec with state of the art VFX from Modus (“Screamers 2 – The Hunting”, “The 300”, “Journey to the Center of the Earth”, “Sin City”). Martin Pelletier is VFX Producer. Gordon Yang will co-executive produce.
Tom Berry commented: “I’ve been involved in co-productions all over Canada and elsewhere for many years and it is an exciting new step for Premiere Bobine to begin what I hope to be an on-going production relationship with Tony in Australia. “Arctic Blast” is a great concept and will appeal to audiences world-wide.”
Noted Pierre David: “Buyer response to our Sci-Fi Chronicles launch at Cannes was extraordinarily enthusiastic and I think these ‘ripped from the headlines’ tales like “Arctic Blast” catch the zeitgeist of audience interest. This new strand of productions supplementing our ‘women in jeopardy’ thrillers are destined for big success.”
Antony I. Ginnane remarked: “I’ve known Tom and Pierre for many years. In another life Pierre, as head of Mutual Films, distributed my 1978 hit “Patrick” in Canada; and Tom and I worked together on “Screamers” in 1996. It’s great to have them both as partners on “Arctic Blast”.
Extensively pre-sold by Imagination topper Pierre David and his team at Cannes, David will mop up remaining territories at AFM 2009 and work on US strategy with Berry and Ginnane.
Screen Tasmania, through the Tasmanian State Government’s Department of Economic Development, Tourism and the Arts, has provided Production Investment as well as providing logistical and other support to the filmmakers.
Director of Screen Tasmania, Karena Slaninka said “We welcome the opportunity to showcase our crew expertise, our unique and diverse locations and our capacity to facilitate production at an international level. We hope this will be the first of many more productions to take place in Tasmania.”
Delivery of “Arctic Blast” is scheduled for May 30th 2010.
In Australia/New Zealand, Ginnane’s new distribution venture (IFM/Filmways) will release in the second half of 2010 and Berry’s Premiere Bobine will handle Canada.
The 3 partners are actively working on “Metal Tornado”, another sci-fi action disaster thriller to shoot in November.