Many readers will know that being part of an investment club turned my finances – and my sense of competence – around.

One of the members, Clare Hodge, has recently produced a film which is opening this weekend in Vancouver and Toronto (I’m going Sat night, if anyone wants to join me. Bloggerbuddies: Netchick? Miss604? Monica? Isabella? David? ) Note – her post below doesn’t say that several CornerGas actors are in her film. I’ve seen the preview and it’s a fun, must see, imho.

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Love and Other Dilemmas, my first feature film as a producer is opening in theatres in Vancouver and Toronto on February 1, 2008. It’s a great romantic comedy about a cursed and pregnant bride on her wedding day. Little did I know that when I fell in love with the character of Ginger Shapiro, the bride, and vowed to bring her to life that it would be a 6 year journey.

I also didn’t know that my personal choices along the way would determine if the film would ever get made. Producing a film is an incredibly complex – and sometimes very boring – process in which the development or scriptwriting, financing or looking for money, and the exploitation or theatrical release takes far longer than the fun part of filming the movie with the actors in front of a camera.

I worked very closely with the writer Deborah Peraya and the director Larry Di Stefano, and we consider ourselves very lucky to have made a feature film in Canada. I like to think that I’m a storyteller but, as a producer, when I say “made a feature film” I don’t immediately think of the characters or the setting; I think of money, risk, negotiations, contracts, clearances, legal haggling and the items we ultimately delivered to our distributor. We made the film in the usual way with the usual suspects: Canadian government soft money, distribution advance, support from broadcasters and, yes, deferrals or investments. What I didn’t expect was that the biggest personal decision I’ve ever made – to buy a condo in Vancouver – would be one of the best advantages in getting this film made.

If you’re a film fan, you’ve heard that Robert Rodriguez financed his first film “El Mariachi” by charging the costs to his credit cards. But what was the interest rate he paid? Instead, I think that having a good credit rating is one of the most important assets a producer can have. That, and an audience – come to see our film! www.LoveandOtherDilemmas.com

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I’ll be there, Clare! Best wishes!

ps: here’s another public invitation – I’m part of a bloggers’ virtual ‘progressive dinner’ this Wednesday. Crash the party!