TORONTO, October 17, 2000 -- Two of Canadian television's most creative artists -- Ken Finkleman (The Newsroom) and Alyson Feltes (Traders) -- and Canada's most-quoted television critic, the Globe's John Doyle will examine television's role in delivering Canadian films to Canadians.

The public forum, Television: The Canadian Films We Get to See, will be held Wed., Oct. 18, 7 p.m. in the Nat Taylor Cinema, York University, Ross Building North, Main Floor, 4700 Keele St. It is sponsored by York University's Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies as part of its year-long celebration of The Triumph of Canadian Cinema. The program's co-ordinator, York Department of Film & Video Prof. Seth Feldman says "Canadian movies have usually had a hard time getting into Canadian movie theatres. But Canadian television has, almost from the beginning, offered a way to go over the heads of the theatre chains to present the best that our most talented filmmakers can do."

John Doyle - Critic, Globe Television (until recently called Broadcast Week)
Doyle, who joined the Globe in 1995, has been writing about television for 10 years. Born in Ireland, he came to Canada in 1980 to do graduate work in English at York University. He has written for The Irish Times, The Toronto Star and several magazines. Doyle has written extensively about modern literature and lectured widely on popular culture.

Ken Finkleman - Actor, Director, Writer, Producer, The Newsroom
Recognized as one of the country's finest satirists to grace the small screen, Ken Finkleman is best known for his CBC television mini-series The Newsroom, More Tears, and Foolish Heart. The Winnipeg native also spent a decade and a half in L.A. fashioning such scripts as Airplane II and Who's That Girl? His latest project is a CBC Television six-episode anthology called Foreign Objects.

Alyson Feltes - Co-creator, Executive Producer & Writer, Traders
Alyson Feltes has emerged as one of Canada's most talented and admired television producers and screenwriters. In 1999, she was listed as one of Variety's "Top Creative 50 To Watch" in the world. She studied law at York University's Osgoode Hall Law School (LLB ‘88). She initially pursued a career in entertainment law, but soon switched careers and enrolled at the American Film Institute (AFI) in Los Angeles. She was Executive Producer and Writer for three award-winning seasons of the critically acclaimed TV series Traders which garnered multiple awards including two Geminis for Best Dramatic Series. Feltes earned a Banff Rocky Award nomination for an episode she wrote entitled "Separation Anxiety". Most recently, she wrote and executive produced the critically-acclaimed television movie Justice, which received four Gemini nominations including one for Best TV Movie.

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For details on The Triumph of Canadian Cinema series visit: www.robarts.yorku.ca or contact:

Seth Feldman
Robarts Chair in Canadian Studies
York University
(416) 736-2100, ext. 77553
sfeldman@yorku.ca

Ken Turriff
Media Relations
York University
(416) 736-2100, ext. 22086
kturriff@yorku.ca
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