Donald Martin is a citizen of Canada and the U.S., residing in Los Angeles.
A screenwriter since 1988, his work has garnered awards around the world. He was honored by Hollywood’s LGBTQ organization POWER UP in 2011 as one of its “10 amazing men in showbusiness”. In 2010, at the Gemini Awards (Canada’s Emmys), he received the Lifetime Achievement Award. At 2009’s Gemini Awards, Donald was nominated for writing the CBC movie “Celine”. In 2002, he received Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee Medal for his contribution to the arts. In 2001, he received the inaugural Gemini Humanitarian Award. In 1996, he was nominated for a Genie Award (Canada’s Oscars) as Best Original Screenplay and for a Writer’s Guild Award for his comedy “It’s Never Too Late”, starring Olympia Dukakis.
He writes for the big and small screen. He is currently writing a movie for Netflix Originals. In television, Donald has over 45 produced movies and mini-series to his credit. In features, his comedy “Never Too Late”, starring Ellen Burstyn and James Caan, is in post-production. His psychological thriller “Isabelle” has won awards at several international film festivals and was released worldwide last year. His adaptation of Eckhart Tolle’s book “Milton’s Secret” stars Donald Sutherland and Michelle Rodriguez and had its world premiere at the 2016 Vancouver International Film Festival. His feature “Toto”, which he wrote and produced in Manila in 2015, has won awards across Asia as well as Best Foreign Film at LA’s Comedy Festival in 2016 and the Audience Award for Best Film at 2016’s Asian American International Film Festival in NYC. He wrote and executive produced “Dim Sum Funeral” for HBO Films. His Sony feature “Shackles”, for legendary producer Irwin Winkler, stars D. L. Hughley in his dramatic debut and had its world premiere at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival. Donald has been commissioned to write screenplays for Miramax, The Weinstein Company, Paramount Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Warner Brothers, Sony Pictures, Sony Screen Gems, Steve Tisch’s Escape Artists, Gale Anne Hurd’s Valhalla Entertainment, Wes Craven Films, CBS Films, and Showtime.
Donald teaches screenwriting at UCLA and lectures regularly at the American Film Institute.