Alan DiFiore and Keith Ross Leckie split a Gemini nomination for their collaborative scriptwriting efforts on the acclaimed Milgaard.

With Leckie based in Toronto and DiFiore stationed in Vancouver, where he is the executive story editor on Da Vinci’s Inquest, the two met halfway, hooking up in Winnipeg to write the dramatic script.

‘Milgaard was a tough project, but extremely rewarding,’ says DiFiore. ‘It was a chance to really delve into David [Milgaard]’s story and dig out stuff that people didn’t know about it.’

Leckie, a veteran writer who has worked on 11 scripts that have made it to camera, says he prefers to write reality-based screenplays such as Milgaard, based on the true story of David Milgaard, who spent 23 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

‘I find it wonderful because you have the basis of true events and actions people have actually done,’ says Leckie. He admits, however, that sometimes a little artistic freedom must be taken to keep a story interesting. ‘Even if you manipulate facts you still have to tell the truth, and tell what happened in a truthful way. But, for dramatic reasons, you do have to manipulate facts sometimes.’

DiFiore says he is well-practised in collaboration, having shared responsibilities on a number of earlier projects and having worked as a Da Vinci writing team member. Still, he feels writing in partnership is a unique talent in its own right.

‘I think collaborating is an art form in itself because you have to continuously put the finished product and the finished script ahead of your own personal needs,’ he says. ‘I’ve heard horror stories of people who can’t work with other people, but I’ve been lucky.’

DiFiore says he is extremely content with his position at Da Vinci, calling the experience ‘a writer’s dream. All of the things you learned and all of the things that helped you develop your chops as a writer…we’re able to use all of that. It’s like being in writer’s heaven,’ he says.

Leckie is also hard at work preparing for his feature directorial debut with Children of my Heart, based on the novel by acclaimed Canadian author Gabrielle Roy. Leckie, who not surprisingly also penned the script, will be shooting the film in Winnipeg this fall.