Don hasn't been confirmed to present an award, and we're not quite sure if he'll be in attendance. But if you'd like to catch the broadcast anyway, you can tune into Toronto's Rogers Cable 10 tonight and tomorrow night (Oct 28th and 29th) at 7pm EST for an unedited live broadcast from the ceremonies. The CBC will air a two-hour edited broadcast on Monday Oct 30th at 8pm EST.

DON SPEAKS AT HART HOUSE
Don recently returned to his old university digs when he attended a Q&A session at the University of Toronto, in support of the Hart House Film Board. During the two-hour chat, Don discussed various topics, ranging from his (nearly completed) screenplay for Blindness, to anecdotes about his cat Pinky. :-) One amusing note about his parents, according to Don:

"...My parents met here at Hart House. They were married here, too. And I think I was even conceived here, in a room down the hall..."

Two short videos were also shown. One was Don's recent short for the T.O. film fest, A Word From the Management. The second video was a special short Don had made several years ago, for a tribute to Atom Egoyan. The short, entitled A Portrait of Atom (named after Atom's 1995 short A Portrait of Arshile), was previously screened only once in public, and features Don playing Atom, and Atom himself playing an overzealous off-camera interviewer.

If you weren't in attendance, don't fret, because the entire session was video taped, and will be given a public screening sometime in the new year (keep an eye on the official site for more upcoming details). Also, expect to see some photos from the event posted here, at this site. (Many, many thanks to Michelle Power for organizing the event! :-)

BUST MAGAZINE LOVES DON
In the Fall issue of BUST magazine, Don has been given mention in the special "Men We Love" issue. Here's the small excerpt, written by BUST writer Audra Estrones:

"I don't often get celebrity crushes, but I've got one on Don. He's only 37, and he has written/co-written eight films (forty, because one of the films he co-wrote was actually Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould!), directed three, and acted in twenty-two.

The Jutra, the Genie, the Canadian Comedy Award... he's won them. Whether he's writing about date rape on a native reserve (Dance Me Outside) or the end of the whole damn world (Last Night), he does an amazing job. I also appreciate the Canadianess of his work. He hasn't bailed on us, he has stayed here, and made Canadian movies telling Canadian stories. Which mean he gets paid in Canadian money, and that's no great shakes. (That was a joke. Canadians are funny! Look at Leonard Cohen!)

Oh, have I only gone on about his genius and creativity? Well, he also has a very sweet and intelligent face, and one of the most enchanting speaking voices in movies. Basically what I'm saying is, he's perfect."

(Even though the mention is brief, we highly recommend you pick up the mag anyway. :-) You can find the magazine at your better bookstores in Canada and the U.S.) Thanks to Sandy for the info!

| 09.24.00 |

DON AT CALGARY FILM FEST
It was recently confirmed that Don will be attending this year's Calgary International Film Festival, which runs from September 26th to October 1st. Don will be attending the festival's gala premiere of WayDowntown on Wednesday, September 27, and the screenings will take place at 6:30 & 7:00pm at the Globe Cinema (617 8th Avenue SW). Tickets for the gala cost $30 for members and $40 for non-members. After each screening, director and hometown-boy Gary Burns will participate in a Q&A with the audience. Find out more info at the Official Site.

(Many, MANY thanks to Sandy for the info! ;-)

| 09.18.00 |

"WAYDOWNTOWN" WINS BEST CANADIAN FEATURE!
The official website for the T.O. International Film Festival recently announced the winners for this year's festival awards. Gary Burns' WayDowntown was awarded the prestigious 'Toronto - City Award for Best Canadian Feature Film', for its "wry examination of contemporary life, risk-taking, and strong performances as well as its rich sense of humanity."

Presented annually at the Toronto International Film Festival and generously co-sponsored by The City of Toronto and Citytv, the award carries a cash prize of $25,000. Congrats to Gary!

"WAYDOWNTOWN" SCREENING DATES
Here are several screening dates, recently posted at the film's official website:

TWITCH CITY UPDATE! (sorta)
Don himself recently confirmed that the CBC has ordered a third season of Twitch City. Whether or not the show will actually go into production, depends on if enough funding from the CBC will be provided, and if all actors involved will be available. Stay tuned...

VCR ALERT
Don's acclaimed flick Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould will air on Bravo Canada on Tuesday September 19th, at 4pm EST.

| 09.10.00 |

"TRIUMPH OF CANADIAN CINEMA" PANEL DISCUSSION
On Tuesday September 12, York University and the Toronto Film Festival will be presenting a seminar discussing Canadian film culture. Guests and speakers will include Don, Gary Burns (Way Downtown), Lynne Stopkewich (Suspicious River), Denis Villeneuve (Maelstrom), Anne Wheeler (Marine Life), and Niv Fichman (Rhombus Media).

Admission is free, and the panel will take place at the Japan Foundation Auditorium (131 Bloor West - the Colonade - second floor) at 3:00pm. For more info, check out the official site.

MORE INFO ON "PRELUDES" SHORT FILMS...
According to Kitana, alongside Don's own written and directed short A Word From the Management, Don also appears in Patricia Rozema's short This Might Be Good, along with Sarah Polley and Mark McKinney. All ten prelude shorts will be screening for free on Wednesday September 13th, at 3:30pm at the Elgin Theatre.

Also, remember to stay tuned to The Movie Network on Saturday September 16th, at 8pm EST. A special 90-minute program will air all the preludes, and feature interviews with the film's stars and directors, and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage.

Here's a short description of A Word From the Management, courtesy of the Toronto Star:

"McKellar's A Word From the Management looks at the fest from the point of view of the harried theatre usher, a job he got to know first-hand during the festival's halycon early days.

His perspective is that of an usher standing in front of the screen and peering at the audience, looking amusingly - and accusingly - at all the messy, noisy and demanding patrons who bother him."
--Peter Howell

"BRAVE FILMS, WILD NIGHTS"
A number of photos and personal recollections of the T.O. film festival experience by Don himself can be found in Brian D. Johnson's new book "Brave Films, Wild Nights: 25 Years of Festival Fever".

Here's a brief excerpt from the book, with Don telling one of his numerous stories, while he worked as a head usher:

"...McKellar had an especially hard time getting Richard Gere onstage to introduce the premiere of Miles From Home. Gere was more interested in tinkling away at a piano backstage. "He was playing this really irritating jazz tune," recalls McKellar. "It just went on and on and sounded like it was never going to end. I kept going, 'Okay, we should be going now... we really should be going.' He kept saying, 'Relax, what's the problem?' 'Well, I've got 1,250 people out there who have been waiting for half an hour.' I just wanted to slug him."

You can obtain your own copy of the book from the film festival's box office, or order it online from Chapters or Indigo.

VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Don will be taking part in a trade forum at this year's VIFF, which will run from Sept 22nd to Oct 5th. We believe Don will be taking part in the "Writing for Episodic Television" workshop on Sept 28th (but we're not entirely sure...) You can find more info at http://www.viff.org/tradeforum/program.html. (Many thanks to Mel for the info!)

"WAYDOWNTOWN" WEBSITE
The Official Website for WayDowntown is finally up and running! Go check it out! :)

[ 31/08/00 ]

T.O. FILM FESTIVAL SCREENING SCHEDULE
We've just found out the screening dates for two of Don's projects - Gary Burns' feature flick Way Downtown, and Don's short film prelude A Word From the Management. The dates and venues are as follows:

Please know that a large number of films at the festival are Rated R, unless otherwise indicated, and those under 18 years of age will not be able to attend. Since the film festival screens an enormous number of films, not all the films can be rated in time. So, an "R" rating is given to them.

For more info, check out the Film Festival's Official Site.

(Also, this week's NOW Weekly will feature a special film festival insert, with full schedules.)

NORTHERN STARS INTERVIEW
A comprehensive interview with Don was recently posted on the Northern Stars Magazine website. Topics ranged from Don's personal thoughts about his "web presence", to info on his latest and upcoming projects.

The interview also revealed that Don has not [yet] commited to appear in the Spring production of The Drowsy Chaperone (although Don and Bob Martin do plan on revising and rewriting the play, before it is re-staged). Don also mentioned that he will make a guest appearance on Rick Mercer's CBC-produced show Made In Canada, where he'll play a "pretentious film director".

(Many thanks to Peggy Hill for the link, and for the brief mention... :)

| 08.04.00 |

NEW & REVISED U.S. TWITCH CITY DATES
We've just gotten additional U.S. dates for the Aug. and Sept. airings of Twitch City on Bravo U.S. Below is the full schedule for all 13 episodes (many, MANY thanks to Heidi and Cathi for their help!):

Wednesday, Aug/16:
Ep. 1 - "I Slept With My Mother," 10 pm and 1 am EST
Ep. 2 - "My Pet, My Hero," 10:30 pm EST and 1:30 am EST

Thursday, Aug/17:
Ep. 1 - "I Slept With My Mother," 5:30 am EST
Ep. 2 - "My Pet, My Hero," 3:30 pm EST

Wednesday, Aug/23:
Ep. 3 - "I Look Like Joyce DeWitt," 10 pm and 1 am EST
Ep. 4 - "People Who Fight Too Much," 10:30 pm and 1:30 am EST

Thursday, Aug/24:
Ep. 3 - "I Look Like Joyce DeWitt," 5:30 am EST
Ep. 4 - "People Who Fight Too Much," 3:30 pm EST

Wednesday, Aug/30:
Ep. 5 - "I'm Fat and I'm Proud," 10 pm and 1 am EST
Ep. 6 - "Killed by Cat-Food," 10:30 pm and 1:30 am EST

Thursday, Aug/31:
Ep. 5 - "I'm Fat and I'm Proud," 5:30 am EST
Ep. 6 - "Killed by Cat-Food," 3:30 pm EST

Wednesday, Sept/06:
Ep. 7 - "The Return of The Cat-Food Killer," 10 pm and 1 am EST
Ep. 8 - "Shinto Death Cults," 10:30 pm and 1:30 am EST

Friday, Sept/08:
Ep. 7 - "The Return of The Cat-Food Killer," 11 pm and 2:30 am EST

Wednesday, Sept/13:
Ep. 9 - "Klan Bake," 10 pm and 1 am and 5:30 am EST
Ep. 10 - "People Who Don't Care About Anything," 10:30 pm and 1:30 am EST

Thursday, Sept/14:
Ep. 10 - "People Who Don't Care About Anything," 3:30 pm EST

Friday, Sept/15:
Ep. 9 - "Klan Bake," 11 pm and 2:30 am EST

Wednesday, Sept/20:
Ep. 11 - "The Planet of the Cats," 10 pm and 1 am and 5:30 am EST
Ep. 12 - "The Life Of Reilly," 10:30 pm and 1:30 am EST

Thursday, Sept/21:
Ep. 12 - "The Life Of Reilly," 3:30 pm EST

Wednesday, Sept/27:
Ep. 13 - "Angels All Week," 10 pm and 1 am and 5:30 am EST
Ep. 1 - "I Slept With My Mother," 10:30 pm and 1:30 am EST

Thursday, Sept/28:
Ep. 1 - "I Slept With My Mother," 3:30 pm EST

Friday, Sept/29:
Ep. 13 - "Angels All Week," 11 pm EST

DON TO ATTEND ATLANTIC FILM FESTIVAL
A recent issue of Playback magazine has reported that co-ordinators for Halifax's Atlantic Film Festival have confirmed that Don will be attending the festival to interview two close collaborators of his own: Bruce McDonald and Francois Girard on Sept. 16 and 17. A complete schedule of events and programs for the festival will be available Aug. 24.

'WAYDOWNTOWN' TO SCREEN AT T.O. FILM FEST
Canoe.ca recently reported Gary Burns' film Way Downtown will be screening at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, during the hugely popular Perspective Canada program. On a related note, Callum Keith Rennie and Molly Parker's new film Suspicious River will also screen during this program. Exact program screening dates will be posted here, the minute we find out... :-)

VCR ALERTS!
Bravo Canada will be airing the following, during the month of August: