Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (June 10/02) - Time is running out if John Huston is to film Snow Walker in Rankin Inlet.

Huston and producer Robert Merilees of Infinity International Entertainment Inc. were in Rankin this past week to pitch the benefits of having the movie shot in Rankin.

The meeting was attended by hamlet council and representatives from a number of organizations, including Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and the Kivalliq Inuit Association.

Huston told the gathering a minimum of $1.5 million would be spent in Nunavut, including $350,000 spent in Rankin on accommodations alone.

"Getting a quick response as to the incentives we would receive for filming in Rankin is urgent because time is running out," Huston told the gathering.

"We've already been to Churchill, Man., scouting location and, if we have to film Snow Walker there, we can. A film has to move forward. You can't stop and wait to see what will happen."

The hamlet of Rankin Inlet has pledged $50,000 towards the project from the Community Initiatives program. The Department of Sustainable Development has agreed to match that figure.

The players are hoping NTI and the KIA can come up with another $150,000 between them.

That would bring the incentive pot to $250,000, a far cry from the minimum of $750,000 in tax breaks the Manitoba government has offered the project to shoot in Churchill.

Rankin Mayor Jack Kabvitok said it's time for the Nunavut government to step up and aid the project.

"It would benefit all Nunavut to have this movie made here," said Kabvitok.

"The hamlet is not financially stable enough to make this happen on its own, so we need to get support from everybody for this to happen."

Huston told the gathering that filming will begin in six weeks, but would not give a firm commitment to an exact figure on what it would take to bring the movie company to Rankin.

However, he did say if Nunavut could meet the original asking price of $625,000 in incentives, that would probably tip the scales in Rankin's favour.

"If Snow Walker comes here, it will send the message this place is open for business and there's other producers watching the results of these negotiations.

"Filmmakers followed us to Iqaluit when we filmed there and I don't see any reason why the same wouldn't be true for Rankin if this project happens here."