Not really too much to report. I was attending the festival both as a guest and to do some business. My days were mostly spent meeting people, trying to get a deal for both a feature script and a new television series. Both made some promising progress but I'm not going to get too specific about either until things get official.

I didn't have too much time to see that many films but I did see a couple of interesting Canadian movies. One was entitled "Last Wedding" by Bruce Sweeney and is well worth seeing if it makes it to a movie house near you. Last I heard they were just about to sign a distribution deal in the U.S. so...it probably will do the art house circuit.

There were a lot of great parties the first week. Things began on Thursday Sept.6th with a very large, very opulent party at the Canadian National Exhibition. Many other parties followed each night with the standard plethora of big stars. I'm not much of a celebrity watcher. Having the luck to have worked with some pretty amazing actors I've lost some of the awe of being in the same room as "famous" people. Every once in a while though I get to meet a personal favorite, a legend, and I did this year. That was Richard Harris whose career, style of acting and body of work are hugely impressive to me. He was very nice, we shared a brief chat about life, the craft and Peter O'Toole (another favorite whom I met last year).

Of course things came to a shocking halt last Tuesday morning with the terrorist attacks. From that point on I think most of us at the festival lost all interest in trying to do business or attend parties in light of the horror. Tuesday's events and screenings were cancelled and all social functions thereafter were abandoned. Who cares about films when you're witnessing one of the most horrific chapters in human history unfold live on T.V.? The human suffering made what we do seem even more trivial than it normally does.

To end it on a positive note, my partner and friend who is directing the documentary we went to England to begin earlier this year has got a broadcaster interested in the project. She meets with them in two weeks to see if they'll come on board to fund it. Fingers crossed.

Still very quiet here in Toronto acting wise. The hangover of the near double strike has really shrunk the number of productions coming to town. Everyone expects that to turn soon so again...fingers crossed!

P.S. I would like to add to our brothers and sisters in the U.S. I think you would be quite surprised with the outpouring of love and support the recent tragedy has evoked in Canada. There is a 24 hour vigil being held at the U.S. Consulate here in Toronto that has been going on non-stop since the day of the tragedy with many people in attendance at all hours. So many flowers and cards have been placed out front that the pile must be ten feet high, five feet deep and two hundred feet along the length of the building. Many local businesses proudly display the Stars and Stripes in their windows (quite unusual as we are pretty passionate about our own flag). People everywhere are wearing USA shirts, flags stitched to their clothes, "I Love New York" T-shirts...anything to show their solidarity with the American people.

Canada and the U.S. have always had a long and supportive friendship. I don't mean the governments as much as I mean the people. Just know now in this time of fear, anger and sorrow that we, your friends to the North, support you, grieve with you and share in your outrage. If this tragedy serves to do nothing else I hope it proves to be a unifying act for both the citizens of the U.S. and the people of both our great nations. Be well and be strong! The Canadian people stand by you.

Regards,
Jonathan Walker