ANTHRAX, written by David Schultz

A Calgary movie producer (Bruce Harvey) has made a movie titled ANTHRAX. It's about a man's death from anthrax, which touches off events involving the Canadian and USA governments and a search for terrorists.

It was filmed in Calgary and High River (Alberta, Canada) in June 2000. It's based on a script begun in 1999. The feature film premiered at the Calgary International Film Festival last month (September) and is expected to be released in Canadian theatres soon.

Harvey, whose past movies include Almost America, Jeb Boy, Question of Privilege, Silent Cradle and Killer Image, said he is currently negotiating Anthrax's Canadian release through RemStar, a Monreal-based distributor. It's topicality will almost certainly affect the extent of the film's Canadian release and its marketability, he said.

But he's not sure whether the U.S. release -- still unscheduled -- would be helped or hindered by connections to terrorism. That's because one plot element has the USA government causing problems for itself in the way it reacts to a perceived threat -- similar in some ways to how the Afghan rebels aided during their war with the Soviet Union are now turning American training and supplies against the USA, Harvey said.

Calgarian David Schultz, who wrote the script with Harvey, said it's 'bizarre' that real events have caught up with something he began writing two years ago.

"When I started writing about it for Bruce, I thought, 'This is kind of far-fetched,'" Schultz said. "But it's really not. Everything in the movie is very accurate."

Half a dozen of Harvey's movies, including this one, have received financing from the A-Channel Drama Fund. Joanne Levy, who runs the fund and was in on Anthrax's beginnings, called its topicality "absolutely a conicidence."

"...Maybe our creative people are more prescient than anyone else" said Levy.

Levy said ANTHRAX will be released theatrically, and then will go on pay-TV in about 18 months.

"It won't be with us (on A-Channel) for at least a couple of years, unfortunately. I'd love to speed it up right now."

ANTHRAX IN BRAVE NEW WORLD

Anthrax vaccine for thousands in USA (preparation unlicensed,controversial), Washington Post, Dec 19, 2001. Go to 14.Scientific Experimentation and Vaccinations

Eerie timing for "Anthrax" the movie, Calgary Herald. Oct 10, 2001. Go to 16.Ministry of Truth (Lies)