Professional Motion Picture Production and Distribution NEWS

(Anchorage, Alaska) Evergreen Films announces that the company has signed a development deal with New York Times bestselling author Dana Stabenow to bring her popular Kate Shugak, Alaska P.I. mystery series to television.

Through cutting edge production techniques previously reserved for theatrical films, Evergreen promises to show Alaska, the setting for the Shugak stories, as it has never been seen before. "The ability to create a realistic portrayal of Alaska will be critical to communicating the unique Alaska mindset that Kate Shugak embodies," explains Mike Devlin, a partner in Evergreen Films, which has state-of-the-art digital/3D studios in both Los Angeles and Anchorage.

The development deal between Stabenow and Evergreen Films guarantees the majority of the filming and production work on any series will take place in Alaska, where Evergreen Films has established a multi-million dollar post-production facility. "I've been approached in the past to option my stories for television," said Dana Stabenow, "but prior to Evergreen, there were no assurances the production would be filmed in Alaska. My stories are Alaska stories and they need to be told in Alaska. Evergreen Films is located in Alaska, the company does amazing work, and I am thrilled at the prospect of working together."

While Alaska has seemingly been the setting for many popular television and film productions - such as Northern Exposure, Men in Trees and, most recently, The Proposal - none of these productions have actually been filmed in Alaska. Recent tax incentives of up to 44% of a producer's budget, and a growing film community, have worked to reverse this trend by providing ample incentive for Evergreen and other filmmakers to consider Alaska as a prime destination for filming.

Devlin's partner, Pierre de Lespinois, adds, "Through our Anchorage studio, advanced digital filmmaking technology and supporting infrastructure within the state, Evergreen is uniquely positioned to produce films in Alaska. Given their aggressive incentives, we expect this will be the first of many Alaska based projects for our company."



Resources: Evergreen Films