The Vancouver International Film Festival held it’s Spotlight Gala at Blackbird in downtown Vancouver. It isn’t what it used to be but still a great place to hang out on a Saturday night. The LINK editor R. Paul Dhillon attended with his film The Fusion Generation film crew – associate producer Don Fiorvento and their beautiful TFG star Corinna Rennie. It was great meeting a number of film people including former CFL great Sean Millington who’s also delving in the film business. It looks like everyone is in the film business and why not – money is just paper and ain’t worth its price unless it’s used to make films. It’s the holy grail – no money is going to make you live on – it’s only your name in the bright lights that’s gonna be here forever if you are in film! Keep dreaming and creating as Celluloid Dreams is where it’s at!
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) handed out awards that recognize the outstanding films and filmmakers featured at the 36th annual festival Saturday night at the Vancouver Playhouse before the screening of the film Shut Up and Say Something.
The winners received more than $80,000 in prizes including significant cash awards, which help further the creative careers of BC and Canadian filmmakers by celebrating their exceptional work.
Juried awards for Canadian features and shorts were announced at an awards ceremony prior to the BC Spotlight Gala Screening of director Melanie Wood’s Shut Up and Say Something at The Vancouver Playhouse.
The screening of the film was followed by a Gala party at Blackbird in downtown Vancouver
The full list of awards, jurors and winners is as follows:
BC Spotlight Awards
Sea to Sky Award
Presented by TELUS, this award recognizes the exceptional work of a female key creative on a BC-produced feature or short film. The winner received $20,000 that can be used towards future productions or further training.
Winner: Kathleen Hepburn, Never Steady, Never Still
Special Mentions:
Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, c̓əsnaʔəm: the city before the city and
Yassmina Karajah, Rupture
Best BC Film Award
Awarded to a narrative feature, which received a $10,000 development bursary from the Harold Greenberg Fund and a $15,000 post-production services credit supplied by Encore (Deluxe Ent Services Group).
Winner: Luk’Luk’I (dir. Wayne Wapeemukwa)
BC Emerging Filmmaker Award
A $7,500 cash prize sponsored by the Union of BC Performers/ACTRA and Actra Fraternal Benefits Society, along with a $10,000 equipment credit from William F. White. First or second narrative features that are signatory to a UBCP/ACTRA agreement are eligible for this award.
Winner: Kathleen Hepburn, Never Steady, Never Still
Jury members: Kevan Funk, Taylor Hill, Harry Killas
Canadian Film Awards
Narrative Features:
Best Canadian Film
A $10,000 award sponsored by the Directors Guild of Canada will be presented to one of the seventeen nominated Canadian narrative features.
Winner: Black Cop (dir. Cory Bowles)
Emerging Canadian Director
The Directors’ Guild of Canada will also present a $2,000 award to one of the nominated films that mark the director’s first or second narrative feature.
Winner: Kathleen Hepburn, Never Steady, Never Still
Special Mention: Seth A. Smith,The Crescent
Jury members: Bracken Hanuse Corlett, Tracey Friesen, Ravi Srinivasan
Documentary Features:
Best Canadian Documentary
Presented by the Rogers Group of Funds, $15,000 will be award to a Canadian documentary feature film.
Winner: Unarmed Verses (dir. Charles Officer)
Special Mention: Shut Up and Say Something (dir. Melanie Wood)
Jury members: Ann Marie Fleming, Janice Morris, Jeff Chiba Stearns
Short Film Awards:
Best Canadian Short Film
Presented by Lexus, one Canadian short film will receive $2,500.
Winner: Shadow Nettes (dir. Phillip Barker)
Special Mention: Scaffold (dir. Kazik Radwanski)
Best BC Short Film
Presented by Creative BC, one BC short film will be awarded $5,000.
Winner: Rupture (dir. Yassmina Karajah)
Special Mention: Memory of the Peace (dirs. Jennifer Chiu, Jean Parsons)
Most Promising Director of a Canadian Short Film
Presented by Delta Air Lines and an anonymous donor, $2,000 cash, and a round-trip flight anywhere that Delta Air Lines flies, will be awarded to a director of a Canadian made short film
Winner: Vincent Toi, The Crying Conch
Special Mention: Adib Alkhalidey, Go Play Outside
Jury members: Nick Citton, Alicia Eisen, Darcy Van Poelgeest
