ome movie fans are still catching their breath from the whirlwind of movie premieres, gala parties and celebrity schmoozing at the Toronto International Film Festival. The
city was chock-a-block with superstar action. The hottest spot in town for starseekers was Yorkville - particularly the lobby of the Four Seasons Hotel and the patio of the Hotel Intercontinental where stars like Salma Hayek, Parker Posey and more could just be seen hanging out.
  Other stars in town to be part of festival fever included first-time director Denzel Washington, Kate Hudson, Heath Ledger, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robin Wright Penn and hubby Sean Penn, Catherine Deneuve, Pierce Brosnan, Dennis Quaid and Adam Sandler.
  Screen goddess Sophia Loren did double duty during her visit to Toronto. The 68-year-old siren turned up the heat as the guest of honor at the opening of Holt Renfrew's Viva Italia celebration. She brought along her handsome son, Edoardo Ponti, who wrote and directed Loren's latest movie, Between Strangers. Decked out in a black Armani gown, the legendary star presented a $100,000 cheque to Villa Charities. Co-stars Mira Sorvino and Wendy Crewson were also in attendance.
  The downtown corner of York and Wellington recently masqueraded as Chicago's Dearborn Street and Grand Avenue for the Michael Douglas feature Till Death Do Us Part that was shooting in town for 10 weeks. Near the end of a long day of shooting a street scene, decked out as a squeegee
guy, Douglas received some welcome visitors. Wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, in town to finish work on her film, Chicago, dropped by the set with their two year old son, Dylan. They were welcomed with open arms by daddy Douglas who showed the adorable boy how he looked on a nearby monitor. Then they all departed for his trailer near SkyDome.
- Elaine Loring

Kurt Russell  Goldie Hawn and longtime beau Kurt Russell have been making the scene in Vancouver ever since they moved here to be with their son while he tends goal for the Richmond Sockeyes Jr. B hockey team. The couple are settling into their $3 million, 7,000-square-foot, five-bedroom home in one of the city's most exclusive neighborhoods. The 80-year-old house is on a 28,000 square-foot lot and comes with eight bathrooms and 11 fireplaces. That's a lot of space to fill but the pair are up to the task, busy shopping in local stores. They've also hit a few hip restaurants, turning heads at Cardero's during lunch in downtown's Coal Harbour 'hood with a robe-clad Buddhist male friend. But the one place they're not welcome is at 16-year-old son Wyatt's pre-season hockey games. Seems the glam factor the Hollywood couple generates doesn't gibe with the budding hockey star's desire to blend in with the team.
Erika Christensen  Erika Christensen, red hot since her breakout role as Michael Douglas' drug-addicted daughter in Traffic, has relished late weekend nights spent talking and clubbing with her young cast mates on the upcoming The Perfect Score. The heist comedy is about six high school students who conspire to steal the answers to a college entrance exam. Christensen has bonded big time with Scarlett Johansson (Ghost World), Chris Evans and Brian Greenberg. The busy actor says it's like being in camp only with no curfew and better clothes. Working on The Perfect Score isn't the first time the 20-year-old Christensen has shot a movie in Vancouver. She became close friends with Susan Sarandon's real-life daughter, Eva Amurri, when they worked on The Banger Sisters here.

- Valerie Gregory

Michelle Williams  Film production in Nova Scotia has slowed considerably this season in comparison to previous years. However, the feature film industry got a shot in the arm in mid-October with the filming of the independent movie A Hole In One starring Michelle Williams (from TV's Dawson's Creek) and rock icon turned actor Meat Loaf (The Salton Sea, Fight Club). We'll have more on this project at a later date as details become known.
  While rumors abound of more film work coming to Nova Scotia this fall, television productions have been the lifeblood of this province's industry. Throughout September, production on yet another TV project kept stargazers busy. Titled Rush of Fear, it stars Rosanna Arquette from The Whole Nine Yards.
  In mid-September, two more television projects arrived in Nova Scotia, the first titled Heart of a Stranger stars Jane Seymour (from television's Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman) and Maggie Lawson (Model Behavior, Pleasantville). The second project titled Hunger Point stars Oscar nominee Barbara Hershey (Beaches), Susan May Pratt (Center Stage, Drive Me Crazy) and John
Gitz (Requiem for a Dream). Both projects wrapped in October.

- Vernon Oickle