VANCOUVER – The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) held its BC Spotlight Gala on Saturday, October 6 at the Vancouver Playhouse, handing nine awards to exceptional BC and Canadian filmmakers. Totaling $91,500 in prizes (cash and in-kind services), these awards aim to further the filmmaking careers of their recipients.
Following the awards ceremony, VIFF hosted the world premiere of the BC Spotlight Gala film Anthem of a Teenage Prophet directed by Robin Hays. The film stars Cameron Monaghan (of the television hit Shameless) as Luke, who has lost his best friend and had even predicted the tragedy. Adapted from Joanne Proulx’s award-winning novel, the film follows Luke as he falls for his best friend’s girl, played by Peyton List, and spirals into more macabre premonitions.
Below is a full list of the awards and winners:
BC SPOTLIGHT AWARDS
Sea to Sky Award
Presented by TELUS
$20,000 cash prize; recognizes the outstanding work of a female key creative on a BC-produced feature or short.
Winner: Meredith Hama-Brown (Broken Bunny)
Special Mention: Robin Hays (Anthem of a Teenage Prophet)
Best BC Film Award
Presented by Creative BC and Encore by Deluxe
$10,000 cash prize presented by Creative BC + $15,000 post-production services credit supplied by Encore by Deluxe.
Winner: Edge of the Knife (dirs. Gwaai Edenshaw, Helen Haig-Brown)
BC Emerging Filmmaker Award
Presented by UBCP/ACTRA, AFBS & William F. White International Inc.
$7,500 cash prize sponsored by UBCP/ACTRA and AFBS, plus a $10,000 equipment credit supplied by William F. White International.
Winners: Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein (Freaks)
Best BC Short Film Award
Presented by VIFF
$5,000 cash prize
Winner: Biidaaban (The Dawn Comes) (dir. Amanda Strong)
#mustseeBC Award
Media Partner: Daily Hive
Winner: Finding Big Country (dir. Kat Jayme)
CANADIAN AWARDS
Best Canadian Film Award
Presented by the Directors Guild of Canada
$10,000 cash prize
Winner: Edge of the Knife (dirs. Gwaai Edenshaw, Helen Haig-Brown)
Special Mention: Genesis (dir. Philippe Lesage) and The Grizzlies (dir. Miranda de Pencier)
Emerging Canadian Director Award
Presented by the Directors’ Guild of Canada
$2,000 cash prize
Winner: Sean Devlin (When the Storm Fades)
Special Mention: Drew Lint (M/M)
Best Canadian Documentary Award
Presented by Rogers Group of Funds
$15,000 cash prize
Winner: The Museum of Forgotten Triumphs (dir. Bojan Bodružić)
Special Mention: A Sister’s Song (dir. Danae Elon)
Best Canadian Short Film Award
$15,000 colour grading and/or VFX services credit supplied by Side Street Post & VFX
Winner: Fauve (dir. Jeremy Comte)
Most Promising Director of a Canadian Short Film Award
Presented by Gary Harvey and Delta Air Lines
$2,000 cash prize + Roundtrip Flight Anywhere Delta Air Lines flies
Winner: Claire Edmondson (EXIT)
Founded in 1982, the Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society is a charitable not-for-profit arts and cultural organization that operates the internationally acclaimed Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) and the year-round programming of the Vancity Theatre at the Vancouver International Film Centre. The Society’s mission is to celebrate excellence, promote diversity and foster discovery and innovation in the field of screen-based storytelling. Among the largest film festivals in North America in terms of screenings and attendance, VIFF presents over 350 films and events, plays host to over 400 industry professionals from around the globe and boasts the largest Canadian film program in the world. For its 37th year, VIFF welcomes the world to Vancouver from September 27 – October 12, 2018.