| 06.19.01 |

HOMEMAKERS (ALSO) LOVE DON
Don has been named as one of the "Men We Love" in the June issue of Homemaker's. (No relation to last year's BUST article with the same name, of course.) Here's the blurb they wrote about Don:

"Shift magazine called this Toronto-based writer/director/producer/actor the seventh most important person in Canadian film. He's only 37, though, so that leaves him plenty of time to elbow those other six out of the way. Already, he has starred in a TV series (Twitch City), which he also happened to write, and has directed, written or appeared in dozens of films (among them Last Night and The Red Violin). His shelves are loaded down with all the awards he's won - Genies, Geminis and the Young Cinema Award from the Cannes Film Festival. Despite all the acclaim, Canada's answer to Woody Allen remains gracious, humble - and hilarious. --Joanne Sasvari

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE
Previous reports stated that Don had not committed to reprising his role as latin lothario "Aldolpho" in the latest production. They were wrong. Which makes us very happy campers. The play opened up on June 12, and continues till the end of July. You can obtain tickets and more info at www.mirvish.com.

...SPEAKING OF 'BEING WRONG'...
Oops! The CBC did it again. As most of you know, Twitch City was to begin re-airing in Canada starting June 11, but the actual date was pushed a week later (June 18). Good things come to those who wait, we suppose...

(Oh yeah - check out this link if you're interested in reading a short blurb about the show, found in the latest issue of Starweek.)

WAYDOWNTOWN RELEASE DATES
According to the flick's official site, Waydowntown was released on video in Canada on June 12th! AND, the (theatrical?) release date for the US is set for September 28!

VCR ALERTS
(All of the following will be airing on Bravo.ca)

TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Have some spare time between Sept 6 and Sept 15, 2001? The TIFF Group is looking for volunteers to help with their 2001 festival. If you're interested, make sure to attend one of the following recruitment sessions at Roy Thompson Hall:

New volunteers should bring a resume and references to the session (returning volunteers are also encouraged to do so as well, although not required.) Those under 19 years of age are not allowed to volunteer at theatres, due to the screening of unrated films. But, you may be able to volunteer for pre-festival activities. For more info, you can call the TIFF Volunteer Hotline (416-967-7371, ext. 2208) or contact Volunteer Manager Bob McCarthy.

| 05.23.01 |

CONFIRMED TWITCH CITY AIR DATE!
According to Lorraine, the CBC will air all 13 episodes of Twitch City starting June 11th, every Monday night at 9pm ET.

LAST-MINUTE VCR ALERT!
Alan Zweig's documentary Vinyl will be airing later tonight (10pm ET) on TVO. Don and Atom Egoyan (among others) make a brief cameo in the film.

| 05.07.01 |

SCREENWRITING WORKSHOP
Toronto's Humber College is holding their annual screenwriting worshops from June 23 - June 29. This year's special "faculty" will include: David Cronenberg (eXistenZ, Crash, Dead Ringers), Barry Blaustein (The Nutty Professor, Beyond the Mat, Paul Gottlieb (In Praise of Older Women, Sunshine), Paul Quarrington (Whale Music, Camilla, Perfectly Normal), Karen Walton (Ginger Snaps, The Pornographer's Poem), and of course - Don McKellar. For registration info or other questions, phone (416) 675-5084, or contact Joe Kertes.

NATIONAL SCREEN INSTITUTE MOVIE CAMP
NSI will be running "Movie Camp 1.5" for teens aged 14-19 , this year in Winnipeg (July 30 - Aug 10) and Toronto (Aug 13 - 24). Don has been confirmed as one of the screenwriters to write a script for Movie Camp, which Camp participants will then have the opportunity to "bring creative genius to life". For more info, check out the official site. (Many thanks to "poppasmurf" for the info!)

"MADE IN CANADA" AIRING IN STATES
Here's a message we received from Amanda:

"I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I just discovered (by accident--they aren't publicizing it much) that the local PBS station is airing the current season of "Made In Canada". (In the US, it is aired under the title 'The Industry'.) They are not announcing episode names so I do not know when the episode guest-starring Don will air, and of course, IF other PBS stations in other cities are airing the show - they may not be airing on the same schedule. However, you might want to alert American Don-watchers to scan their TV listings or email their PBS stations to ask about the show. Minneapolis-St. Paul will be airing episodes of 'The Industry' on Tuesdays until at least the end of May!"

CINDERELLA & ME UPDATE
Here's a brief article about Don's upcoming project, courtesy of Shelagh:

Worthy of Cinderella role By CLAIRE BICKLEY -- Toronto Sun (April 24/01)

The mischief-fueled miniseries Cinderella & Me is moving across the pond after 20 days of filming locally. The three-hour project begins 12 days work in England Thursday, using the cobblestone streets of Greenwich and a grand country estate north of London.

The $4.5-million co-production between Toronto's Catalyst Entertainment and the BBC is a family satire with sharp little teeth.

It's based on Philip Pullman's children's book I Was A Rat, about the one rodent the Fairy Godmother transformed into a footman for Cinderella's couch, but didn't get a chance to turn back. Although it's set in the 1920s, it includes some very modern messages. Think Princess Diana's media duck-and-dance, for one.

Playing Roger the Rat/Boy is Calum Worthy, a 10-year-old from Victoria, B.C., who seems a real find. Tom Conti and Brenda Fricker co-star as the kindly adoptive couple who love him despite his habit of eating the tablecloth. Sheila McCarthy and Don McKellar comically scene-steal as evil carnie couple the Tapscrews, who put him on exhibit.

Toronto locations included Casa Loma as the palace, the R.C. Harris Filtration Plant as a laboratory, the Ontario Heritage Foundation's Adelaide St. E. office as a newspaper newsroom, the AGO, Brampton's historic courthouse and Gooderham & Worts for the rat gang's sewer hideout.

In the U.K, it will air near Christmas. It hasn't yet got a broadcaster here.

"We're always looking to co-produce with other people. We do quite a lot," said Andy Rowley, the producer for the BBC. "This is the first one that the BBC itself has actually done with Canada. I think we'd like to think the relationships we're building will continue."

Cinderella producer Paul Brown and director Laurie Lynd may have just the thing. They're developing Count Karlstein, author Pullman's gothic kid horror book, as a film.

| 04.20.01 |

DON TO SPEAK IN B.C. THIS WEEKEND
This info was recently sent to us:

AN EVENING WITH DON McKELLAR
in Conversation with Katherine Monk

Don McKellar has been a major influence on the New Wave of Canadian cinema, not only as director of his own innovative film and television projects, but also as a writer and actor working with an A-list of other Canadians -- Atom Egoyan, Bruce McDonald, François Girard, Patricia Rozema and Gary Burns.

In conversation with Katherine Monk, he'll talk about a career that took off in 1989 when he wrote and played Russel the Serial Killer in Roadkill, and reached new heights in 1998 when six films that he had directed, written, or acted in played at the Toronto Film Festival - including his feature directing debut Last Night, which won the City of Toronto/CITY-TV Award for Best Canadian First Feature.

Katherine Monk is Film and New Media Reviewer for the Vancouver Sun, and resident Film Critic for CBC National Radio's Definitely Not the Opera.

Sunday 22 April 7:30 p.m.
Royal Bank Cinema, UBC
(At the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts)
FREE
LIMITED TO THE FIRST 160 REGISTRANTS
email Praxis or fax Heather 682-7909

Presented by British Columbia Film ° Praxis Centre for Screenwriters, Simon Fraser University

Praxis Centre for Screenwriters
The Mews, #300 - 12 Water Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 1A5
Phone: (604) 682-3100
Fax: (604) 682-7909
E-mail: praxis@sfu.ca
Web: www.praxisfilm.com

| 04.02.01 |

TENTATIVE CANADIAN TWITCH CITY AIR DATE!
You heard it here first, kids! According to Don himself, BOTH seasons of Twitch City will be airing this June on the CBC! (Although, keep in mind that plans are always subject to change.) Stay tuned here for any more info... :)

DON TO SPEAK AT PRINCETON
Don will be at New Jersey's Princeton University to attend two public screenings of Last Night (April 6) and The Red Violin (April 7). The free screenings are to take place at Rockefeller College Theater at 8pm. For more info, check out this site.

(MANY thanks to Ruthie for the info! :)

TV NEWS...
Here's a short article from last Sunday's Toronto Star (courtesy of Kitana), regarding an upcoming tv project:

RAT'S AMORE: We love a good Cinderella story, and this one's a beaut - the cast alone warrants an invite to the ball.

Stars of the miniseries Cinderella And Me, which kicked off production in Toronto last Sunday, include Tom Conti, Brenda Fricker, Edward Fox, Ned Beatty, Don McKellar, Sheila McCarthy and Stephen Ouimette. Laurie Lynd (House) directs here and in London, England.

The story is set in the 1920s and recounts what happened after the ball, when Cinderella has split for the coal bin and a pageboy gets left behind.

Zoot! Alors! He doesn't revert to his former life as a rat and must adapt to his new gig as a little boy.

Also, it was recently announced that Ken Finkleman's "Foreign Objects" series will air on the CBC this coming fall. Look out for a cameo by Don in one of the eps...

LAST-MINUTE VCR ALERT FOR UK FANS
The Red Violin will be airing on Channel 4 in the UK at 12:05am on Tuesday 3rd April. (Thanks to Lorraine for the info!)

| 03.03.01 |

"MADE IN CANADA" CONFIRMED AIR DATE
After many many many agonized weeks of waiting, the CBC will finally air Don's guest stint on Made In Canada this Monday, March 5th, at 8:30pm EST. (And hey, we also hear that the show will be airing in the States as well! If and when we find out more info, we'll let you know...) For more info about the episode, follow this old link. (Thanks to Shelagh for the news!)

VCR ALERTS!

| 02.09.01 |

DON AT "LOCAL HEROES" FESTIVAL
According to a recent article in Playback, Don will be a guest lecturer at this year's Local Heroes Canadian Film Festival, to be held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, from Feb 25 - March 4. For more info, contact localheroes@nsi-canada.ca.

NEW WAYDOWNTOWN SCREENING DATES
New Canadian screening dates have been added to Waydowntown's official site. Check 'em out if the movie will be coming to a theatre near your area.

(Note to American fans who hope to catch a viewing of the film: we hear that there might a tentative release stateside this coming August. Stay tuned!)

VCR ALERTS!
Many thanks to Lorraine for providing some of the following air-dates: