1) Your profile mentioned you “mentored several filmmakers” including various workshops and training. What would you say inspired you to begin teaching filmmaking?
Don: After spending several years as a producer, production manager, and assistant director for a wide range of film projects through the NB Film Co-op, I realized how valuable it would have been to have a mentor when I first started out. That insight is really what inspired me to begin teaching. I wanted new filmmakers to have the chance to have someone who could help walk them through the process step by step, answer their questions and help them avoid the pitfalls I had to learn the hard way. Sharing the knowledge and skills I’ve gained over the years felt like the right next step. It's not just teaching the fundamentals, but also bringing in my personal experiences from real sets. I find that those stories and lived lessons are what truly resonate and help emerging filmmakers connect the dots in a meaningful way.
2) What would you say has been the most challenging part of your filmmaking career so far?
Don: For me, the biggest challenges in filmmaking have really come down to two things, time and procrastination. They tend to feed into each other. When you procrastinate, you lose valuable time and when time slips away, it becomes harder to stay focused on the projects that truly matter. I’ve learned that time doesn’t wait for anyone, so you have to intentionally carve out space to work on the stories you care about and avoid getting pulled into distractions. Those have been my toughest challenges and they’re still areas I’m actively working to improve on. But acknowledging them has helped me stay more accountable and more committed to the creative work that inspires me.
3) How did you become interested in directing and producing?
Don: My interest in directing and producing really began with my love for storytelling. As a kid, I didn’t recognize it as “storytelling” because I just wanted to become the heroes that I admired. But as I got older and started imagining my own worlds and characters, I realized that I had stories of my own that I wanted to tell, so I explored every outlet I could think of to try and tell thsoe stories. I did writing, drawing, creating adventures through role playing games with friends. But finally, I discovered filmmaking as a medium that could bring all those creative impulses together and as technology evolved, it became way more accessible. I didn’t need to move to a big city or secure massive budgets to start creating. I could tell meaningful stories on a smaller, more intimate scale.
4) What is a project you’re currently working on that you feel excited about?
Don: I’m juggling a few projects right now, but the one I’m most excited about is a historical period drama that’s nearing the point of production. That genre has always been my passion and this particular story has been simmering in my mind for quite a while and thanks to some recent breakthroughs with a few good friends, the script has really started to take shape. It follows a man named Beausoleil whose entire world is torn apart during the tragic events of the Great Upheaval. The film focuses tightly on his emotional journey and the hard decisions he's forced to make to protect his family and the desperate escape that follows. It’s an intimate, character driven story set against a historical backdrop and this is a project I’m genuinely thrilled about.
5) How has the Moncton region inspired your filmmaking?
Don: The Moncton region has been a huge source of inspiration for my filmmaking. It’s rich with history and filled with incredible locations that have shaped many of my projects. From old cemeteries and rustic cabins for my short film on the legend of Rebecca’s Grave, to fort ruins, thick forests and old farms that helped bring my Acadian historical film Délivrance to life to name a few examples. There are still so many untouched locations that I know will elevate future stories that I want to tell. But more than the scenery, it’s the people who inspire me the most in the area. My family, friends, colleagues, and the local arts community have always shown up with support, encouragement, and a willingness to lend a hand. That sense of community fuels my creativity and keeps me grounded. I’m excited for the many more projects still ahead that will be rooted in this corner of Atlantic Canada that I’m proud to call home.