Aboriginal drama starts shooting

Cameras are rolling on Blackstone (8×60′), a contemporary drama coproduction uniting free and pay television networks in Canada, that is set on a Indian reservation.

Blackstone is produced by Prairie Dog Film and Television in association with Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canadian pay channel Showcase and Canwest Broadcasting.

Following a TV pilot last year, APTN and Showcase have joined forces to finance the series, which started production this week and will air in early 2011. It stars Carmen Moore, Eric Schweig, Michelle Thrush and Roseanne Supernault in a tale about an Indian reservation community divided by a child abuse case.

“Blackstone is relevant and relational in an Aboriginal story world, with universal themes and conflicts,” said creator Ron E Scott of Prairie Dog, whose other credits include Mixed Blessings, Code Green Canada and Cowboy Country.