Altar Identity Studios will co-produce and finance Donna Gigliotti, James Spies and J E Craig’s Big Stone Gap to star Ashley Judd, Patrick Wilson and Whoopi Goldberg.

Adriana Trigiani wrote the screenplay and will make her feature directorial debut when production gets underway on October 19.

Big Stone Gap is based on Trigiani’s bestselling novels about a small town romance.

Altar Identity Studios president Wade Bradley and Helen Rosenberg negotiated the deal with Graham Taylor.

  • Andrea Dorfman has commenced shooting on Heartbeat in her native Halifax. The rom-com is scheduled to shoot until November 6 and stars Tanya Davis, Kristin Langille and Glen Matthews. Bill Niven and Jay Dahl of Northeast Films are producing. Funding comes via Telefilm Canada, Film And Creative Industries Nova Scotia and Astral’s Harold Greenberg Fund with additional financing from the Nova Scotia Film Industry Tax Credit and the Canadian Film And Video Production Tax Credit.