NANA Development Corp., an Alaska Native regional corporation, purchased a 33 percent stake in a local film production studio.

The deal with Evergreen Films Inc is worth several million dollars, The Anchorage Daily News reported. When you get a major corporation like NANA saying they're going to help participate ... that's a big vote of confidence," Mike Devlin, the studio's chief executive, told the paper.

The deal comes as the first modern, major movie to be filmed entirely in the state begins production this week. Everybody Loves Whales, starring Drew Barrymore, features a Native-based storyline, although the primary characters are not Native.

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Promoters see bright future for Alaska in movie busines (The Anchorage Daily News 9/14)