Muse begins shooting Stork Derby

Canada's Muse Entertainment is about to start principal photography on The Stork Derby, a movie chronicling the bizarre true story of a wealthy bachelor who bequeaths $1m in his will to the woman who produces the most babies within in a ten-year period.

The TVM is being produced in association with Chum Television's Citytv, with additional support from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

The two broadcasters share Canadian licensing rights, and Pearson Television International will distribute internationally.

The real life Stork Derby took place in Canada during the depths of the Great Depression in the 1930s. While numerous women vied for the prize, three came to the forefront with ten to twelve babies each.

The contest ignited a media frenzy and journalists came from around the world to pity, sensationalise or champion the mothers who were competing as intimate details of their lives were scrutinised and exploited.

All of the mothers were very different but what they had in common was their abject poverty – and their absolute determination to win the money.

{The Stork Derby mirrors contemporary issues around the globe. It is about a clash of beliefs and values but ultimately it celebrates the triumph of motherhood against overwhelming odds,{ said the film's Canadian director Mario Azzopardi.

On the treatment of the film, Azzopardi says it will have {a race-like atmosphere. We are not filming this as your typical, period drama. It will be hard-hitting and jazzy using hand-held cameras and fast cuts,{ he explains.

The film will begin shooting in Montreal on April 16 and stars Megan Follows (Anne of Green Gables, Boys and Girls), Pascale Montpetit (Mon meilleur ennemi, Le Coeur au poing), Ellen David (Heist, Stardom), Janine Theriault (The Great Gatsby, Murder Most Likely), John Neville (Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Sunshine), Eric Peterson (Earth, The Sleep Room) and R H Thomson (Lotus Eaters, Bone Daddy).