Vancouver-basedBrightlight Pictures is set for a November shoot on writer-director BruceSweeney's American Venus.

The$3.8m production will be produced by Brightlight co-presidents Shawn Williamsonand Steve Hegyes.

Telefilm Canada, Corus' Movie Central, Astral's The MovieNetwork and CHUM are backing the project and Montreal-based TVA has picked upall Canadian rights. Hegyes told Screen International he is negotiatinga foreign sales deal at the Toronto Film Festival. Casting begins next week.

Shooting in the greater Vancouver area, the film follows thetortured relationship of a young woman trying to wrest herself from grip of hercontrolling mother, who happens to be a gun addict. It's the fourthcollaboration between Sweeney and Hegyes, the latest since Last Wedding,which opened the Perspective Canada programme at Toronto in 2001.