It's a paper clip that keeps on giving. The red paper clip that former Montrealer Kyle MacDonald traded until he swapped up to a house is now giving Kipling, Saskatchewan, a shot at the big time.

The small Saskatchewan town, population 1,140, is hosting auditions for Donna on Demand, a film directed by actor Corbin Bernsen of L.A. Law fame.

In his next-to-last trade, which MacDonald said was one of the weirdest in a series of bizarre trades; he gave a KISS snow globe to Bernsen in return for a role in the film. Bernsen is apparently a collector with an impressive collection of snow globes.

MacDonald then traded the film role to Kipling for a house. Filming is scheduled to begin in the fall.

Bersen is making good on the deal. He came to town Sunday to hold auditions.

"The town decided instead of saying 'here's the person in the movie' we'd have auditions," he told CTV Newsnet. "So we're having open auditions in the town of Kipling."

Residents strutted their stuff for Bernsen, trying for a chance to act in a Hollywood film.

Margaret Duke, a 78-year-old local prairie girl, stepped up to try for her chance at stardom.

"At my age, anything's a dare," she said with a smile.

The open auditions will keep Kipling hopping until Labour Day. That's also when MacDonald will have an open house-warming party at his new house.

When MacDonald, 26, said he would trade his way up from a red paper clip to a house, it was hard to believe. But a year later, he landed the two-storey house in Kipling.

He started his quest on July 12, 2005, posting his appeal on his website One Red Paperclip.

Like many Internet phenomena, news of his plan spread like wildfire. It wasn't long before he found his items getting progressively larger.

"I traded one red paper clip for one fish pen, for one doorknob, for one camping stove..." said Macdonald, listing off a chain of improbable swaps.

Eventually, he was able to offer a movie role to the town of Kipling, in return for the house.

Kipling resident and audition hopeful Mark Edmonds believed the town is ready for the spotlight.

"People don't realize the talent and the amount of heart that communities in Saskatchewan have," Edmonds said. "This community embodies ... all that there is to be about Saskatchewan."

Bernsen said he was enjoying his visit to Kipling, and is genuinely impressed with Saskatchewan. He's thinking about shooting his next movie in the town.

He also said he wouldn't be surprised if aspiring American actors fly in to give the locals a run for their money.

That wouldn't disappoint Kipling's mayor, who said that the town hoped to use the red paper clip's adventure to buy itself some good publicity.

"We're going to do our best to use the publicity that we get from this to let people know what a great place Saskatchewan is to live," Bert Roach said in July.

But Bernsen said at least one role will go to a local.

"I want somebody from Kipling in the movie," he said. "If I find an extraordinary person to play my son -- or the Donna role -- who's not from here, I'll cast them. But I'll still bring somebody from Kipling, because the role belongs to somebody in Kipling."

Auditions were held in the town all day Sunday and continue during the long Labour Day weekend in September.