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NLIS 6
May 3, 2001
(Tourism, Culture and Recreation)

 

The following statement was issued today by Kevin Aylward, minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

I would like to update my honourable colleagues of the most recent filming activity taking place in our province. Shooting has begun in the province for the film, The Shipping News, which is based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by E. Annie Proulx. It is a story of a young man and his family who flee life in the United States and return to his roots in Newfoundland in search of a better life.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation has been involved in this production since its inception in 1997. Prior to the establishment of the corporation, the former departments of Industry, Trade and Technology and Development and Rural Renewal were involved in the preliminary logistical stages of this project.

The production company, Miramax Productions of Hollywood and New York, has been in the Trinity area since March building sets. Filming recently commenced and will continue through May and June months. Approximately half of the production will be filmed here, primarily in the Trinity-Bonavista area, which was the same region used for the shooting of the mini-series, Random Passage, last year. One of the main settings for The Shipping News will be the Quoyle House located at Savage Point in Trinity Bight. The balance of filming, mainly interior shots, are being shot in Nova Scotia.

This $45 million Hollywood production will bring tremendous economic benefits to the province. Over 200 accommodations have been secured in the Trinity and Bonavista area and the production company has hired many local people to work on this exciting project. As well, the wave tank at Memorial University has been booked for a two week period for filming. This production activity is expected to generate approximately $20 million in the provincial economy.

The film is being directed by Lars Hallstrom, who recently won an award for Cider House Rules and the film stars include Oscar winner, Kevin Spacey, Dame Judi Dench, Julianne Moore and Cate Blanchett.

It is wonderful to see this Hollywood production being created in our own backyard, and we are very eager to see Newfoundland and Labrador on the big screen. This is a golden opportunity to exhibit Newfoundland and Labrador to the entire world, as this film will help create more awareness of the spectacular scenery and beauty of our province. Productions like this one and others including the filming of Random Passage and The Red Door help to build both a viable filming industry as well as support our growing tourism industry. This will be a banner year for Newfoundland and Labrador�s film industry and we look forward to helping continue the growth and momentum in this valuable industry.

To demonstrate the level of activity and development within the local film industry, I would like to point out that the film development corporation has received requests for funding of nearly $2 million and has committed for this fiscal year, $450,000 for the development and production of local films. The level of requests for funding speaks volumes to the potential that exists in this lucrative industry.

I want to congratulate the Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation, a corporation of the provincial government, for their continued hard work in securing film production projects and promoting this province as a great place to do business.

 

2001 05 03                                                                  2:10 p.m.

 


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