CFC Alumni Earn Record-Breaking 115 Nominations for 2023 Canadian Screen Awards

Posted: Feb 28, 2023

Collage of 8 images of different film and TV series

CFC alumni and program participants prove yet again that they are the best in the business, earning a whopping 115 nominations for this year’s Canadian Screen Awards across the film, TV and digital media categories.

“Our alumni set a new record this year, earning more CSA nominations than ever before,” shared maxine bailey, CFC’s executive director. “These incredible storytellers and creators are being recognized and celebrated for their outstanding talent and rich diversity of stories – we are so proud. Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees – you all fuel and enrich this industry with your passion, your voices, your stories – thank you!”

CFC talent can be found both behind and in front of the camera on this year’s most nominated homegrown hits, including the alumni-led CBC/BET+ series The Porter, which leads the TV nominations with 19 noms, including Best Drama Series, Best Directing, Best Writing, Best Picture Editing, and Best Original Score, and the year’s most nominated film, Clement Virgo’s Brother, which received 14 nominations, including Best Motion Picture, Achievement in Direction, Achievement in Music – Original Score, Adapted Screenplay, and loads more.

Other leading nominations include 15 noms for CBC’s Sort Of, including Best Comedy Series, and CBC Gem’s Detention Adventure, including Best Children’s or Youth Fiction Program or Series, and 11 nominations for the alumni-created Pretty Hard Cases. Summer With Hope, the 26th feature produced by CFC Features, received three nods, including Best Motion Picture and Original Screenplay. See below for the full list of CFC alumni and program participants nominated for the 2023 Canadian Screen Awards.

Samantha Bee will host this year’s broadcast show, which airs on Sunday, April 16 on CBC / CBC Gem. All of the 2023 Canadian Screen Awards in film, television, and digital media will be handed out over seven shows scheduled throughout Canadian Screen Week, which runs from April 11 to 16.

CFC alumni nominations across the film, TV and digital media categories include:

Film Nominations

Best Motion Picture
  • BrotherDamon D’Oliveira, Aeschylus Poulos, Clement Virgo
  • Summer With HopeChristina Piovesan, Kiarash Anvari, Sadaf Foroughi; the 26th feature produced by CFC Features
Achievement in Casting
  • Nicole Hilliard FordeThe Swearing Jar 
Achievement in Direction
  • Clement VirgoBrother
Achievement in Editing
  • Simone SmithI Like Movies
Achievement in Music – Original Score
  • Todor KobakovBrother
Achievement in Music – Original Song
  • Kate HewlettThe Swearing Jar, “The Swearing Song”
Adapted Screenplay
  • Clement VirgoBrother
Original Screenplay
  • Sadaf ForoughiSummer With Hope
Ted Rogers Best Feature Length Documentary
  • Paul Scherzer Batata
  • Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux – Handle with Care: The Legend of the Notic Streetball Crew
  • Nisha Pahuja, David Oppeheim, Anita LeeTo Kill a Tiger
Best Cinematography in a Feature Length Documentary
  • Nicholas de PencierThe Colour of Ink
Best Editing in a Feature Length Documentary
  • Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux – Handle with Care: The Legend of the Notic Streetball Crew
Best Short Documentary
  • Patty vs. Patty Kate Fraser
  • Perfecting the Art of LongingKat Baulu
Best Animated Short
  • Arctic SongDavid Christensen
  • The Flying SailorDavid Christensen

Television Program Categories

Best Drama Series
  • Departure (Global / Corus Entertainment; Shaftesbury, Deadpan Pictures) – Christina Jennings, Malcolm MacRury, Jackie May, Vincent Shiao, Nikolijne Troubetzkoy, Marsha Greene 
  • Moonshine (CBC; Six Eleven Media / eOne) – Marc Tetreault
  • The Porter (CBC; Sphere Media, Inferno Pictures) – Jennifer Kawaja, Marsha Greene, Charles Officer
  • Transplant (CTV / Bell Media; Sphere Media) – Joseph Kay, Rachel Langer
Best Comedy Series
  • Astrid & Lilly Save the World (CTV Sci-Fi Channel / Bell Media; Blue Ice Pictures) – Danishka Esterhazy
  • Children Ruin Everything (CTV / Bell Media; New Metric Media Inc.) – Mark Montefiore
  • Fakes (CBC Gem; Reality Distortion Field) – Stephen Hegyes
  • Letterkenny (Crave; New Metric Media Inc.) – Mark Montefiore
  • Sort Of (CBC; Sphere Media) – Jennifer Kawaja
Best Reality/Competition Program or Series
  • Canada’s Drag Race (Crave; Blue Ant Media Inc, Saloon Media) – Betty Orr, Michael Kot
Best Live Entertainment Special
  • The Legacy Awards (CBC; Insight Productions) – Ian Steaman, Mazin Elsadi
Donald Brittain Award for Best Social/Political Documentary Program
  • Dear Jackie (documentary Channel / CBC; Catbird Films, Inc) – Henri Pardo
Best History Documentary Program or Series
  • Evil by Design: Surviving Nygard (CBC; Blue Ant Studios) – Jennifer Harkness, Alison Duke
  • Summit 72 (CBC; 72 Summit Productions Inc.) – Nicholas de Pencier
Best Biography or Arts Documentary Program or Series
  • Comedy Punks: Kids In The Hall (Makeful / Blue Ant Media) – Jennifer Harkness
  • Indspire Awards 2022 (CBC; Redcloud Studios Inc.) – Jennifer Podemski
Best Documentary Program
  • The Perfect Story (TVO; Frequent Flyer Films, National Film Board of Canada) – Lea Marin
Best Animated Program or Series
  • Summer Memories (Family Channel / WildBrain; A&N Productions, Aircraft Pictures and Yeti Farm Creative) – Anthony Leo, Andrew Rosen
Best Pre-School Program or Series
  • Pikwik Pack (Treehouse TV / Corus Entertainment; Guru Studio) – Kirsten Newlands
Best Children’s or Youth Fiction Program or Series
  • Detention Adventure (CBC Gem; LoCo Motion Pictures, Broken Compass Films) – Lauren Corber
  • Holly Hobbie (Family Channel / WildBrain; Aircraft Pictures in association with Cloudco Entertainment and Wexworks Media) – Anthony Leo, Andrew Rosen, Sarah Glinksi
  • The Next Step (YTV / Corus Entertainment; Boat Rocker) – Amy Cole, Romeo Candido
  • Gabby’s Farm (TVOKids / TVO; Sphere Media) – Marlo Miazga 
  • Leo’s Pollinators (TVOKids / TVO; Fifth Ground Entertainment) – Raj Panikkar, Christopher Szarka
Best Performing Arts Program
  • Freedom Talks (CBC; Emancipation Arts) – Ngozi Paul
Best Variety or Entertainment Special
  • FreeUp! Emancipation Day 2022 (CBC Gem; Emancipation Arts) – Ngozi Paul

Digital Media Categories

Best Web Program or Series, Fiction
  • Mary & Flo on the Go! (Shaftesbury) – Christina Jennings
  • Revenge of the Black Best Friend (RBBF Inc.) – Motion
  • Topline (Shaftesbury) – Christina Jennings, Romeo Candido
Best Direction, Web Program or Series
  • Revenge of the Black Best Friend, “The One Who Dies First” (RBBF Inc.) – Thyrone Tommy
  • Topline, “Sky is Falling” (Shaftesbury) – Romeo Candido
Best Writing, Web Program or Series
  • Revenge of the Black Best Friend, “The One Who Dies First” (RBBF Inc.) – Motion
  • Topline, “Sky is Falling” (Shaftesbury) – Romeo Candido
Best Lead Performance, Web Program or Series
  • Revenge of the Black Best Friend – Araya Mengesha
Best Supporting Performance, Web Program or Series
  • Chateau Laurier – Emmanuel Kabongo
  • Revenge of the Black Best Friend – Ashton James

Television Craft Categories

Best Direction, TV Movie
  • Miracle in Motor City (CTV Drama Channel / Bell Media; Cineflix Productions) – Alfons Adetuyi
  • Under The Christmas Tree (CTV Drama Channel / Bell Media; Neshama Entertainment) – Lisa Rose Snow
Best Direction, Drama Series
  • Coroner, “Our Home on Native Land” (CBC; Muse Entertainment / Cineflix Studios / Back Alley Films) – Cory Bowles
  • Diggstown, “Donald Kitpu Christmas” (CBC; Circle Blue Entertainment) – Cory Bowles
  • Heartland, “The Long Game” (CBC / Seven24 Films) – Gloria Ui Young Kim
  • The Porter, “Episode 101” (CBC; Sphere Media, Inferno Pictures) – Charles Officer
Best Direction, Documentary Series
  • BLK: An Origin Story, “Nova Scotia: Three Epic Migrations, One People” (History / Corus Entertainment; BLK Productions Inc.) – Jennifer Holness
Best Direction, Children’s or Youth
  • Malory Towers, “The New Headmistress” (Family Channel / WildBrain; King Bert Productions) – Bruce McDonald
  • The Next Step, “One Song Glory” (YTV / Corus Entertainment; Boat Rocker) – Romeo Candido
  • Odd Squad Mobile Unit, “Odd Together Now” (TVO; Sinking Ship Entertainment) – Warren P. Sonoda
Best Writing, Drama Series
  • The Porter, “Episode 101” (CBC; Sphere Media, Inferno Pictures) – Aubrey Nealon
  • The Porter, “Episode 104” (CBC; Sphere Media, Inferno Pictures) – Marsha Greene
  • Transplant, “Tariq” (CTV / Bell Media; Sphere Media) – Joseph Kay, Rachel Langer
Best Writing, Comedy
  • Children Ruin Everything, “Space” (CTV / Bell Media; New Metric Media Inc.) – Jessica Meya
  • Sort Of, “Sort Of Broke” (CBC; Sphere Media) – JP Larocque
Best Writing, Documentary
  • BLK: An Origin Story,  “Ontario: John “Daddy” Hall” (History / Corus Entertainment; BLK Productions Inc.) – Sudz Sutherland
Best Writing, Children’s or Youth
  • Detention Adventure, “Pranks, Lies, and Videotape” (CBC Gem / LoCo Motion Pictures, Broken Compass Films) – Lisa Rose Snow
  • The Next Step, “One Song Glory”  (YTV / Corus Entertainment; Boat Rocker) – Amy Cole
Barbara Sears Award for Best Visual Research
  • Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On (Crave; Eagle Vision, White Pine Pictures) – Jessica Joy Wise
  • Unloved: Huronia’s Forgotten Children (documentary channel / CBC; White Pine Pictures) – Jessica Joy Wise
Best Writing, Variety or Sketch Comedy
  • FreeUp! Emancipation Day 2022 (CBC Gem; Emancipation Arts) – Ngozi Paul
Best Writing, Animation
  • Team Zenko Go, “Pet Project / Mission Improbable” (Netflix; Mainframe Studios Inc.) – Sean Jara
Best Picture Editing, Drama
  • The Porter, “Episode 108” (CBC; Sphere Media, Inferno Pictures) – Dev Singh
Best Picture Editing, Documentary
  • Evil by Design: Surviving Nygard (CBC; Blue Ant Studios) – Pamela Bayne
Best Picture Editing, Children’s or Youth
  • Holly Hobbie, “The Aspiring Ally” (Family Channel / WildBrain; Aircraft Pictures in association with Cloudco Entertainment and Wexworks Media) – Jane MacRae
  • Odd Squad Mobile Unit, “The Problem With Pentagurps / Three Portals Down” (TVO; Sinking Ship Entertainment) – Courtney Goldman
Best Original Music, Animation
  • The Snoopy Show, “Dogs Don’t Say Goodbye”  (Apple TV+; WildBrain) – Jeff Morrow
Best Original Music, Drama
  • Ruby and the Well, “I Wish We’d Stayed Friends” (Family Channel / WildBrain; Shaftesbury) – Lora Bidner
Best Original Music, Comedy
  • Astrid & Lilly Save the World, “Pilot” – CTV Sci-Fi Channel / Bell Media; Blue Ice Pictures) – Ames Bessada
  • Detention Adventure, “Singing in the Raign” (CBC Gem; LoCo Motion Pictures, Broken Compass Films) – Sarah Slean, Antonio Naranjo
Best Original Music, Documentary
  • A.rtificial I.mmortality (Crave; Fathom Film Group) – Todor Kobakov
  • Unloved: Huronia’s Forgotten Children (documentary Channel / CBC; White Pine Pictures) – Michelle Osis
Best Original Music – Original Song
  • Detention Adventure, “See You Later” (episode) – “See You Later” (CBC Gem; LoCo Motion Pictures, Broken Compass Films) – Antonio Naranjo
  • Detention Adventure, “Singing in the Raign” (episode) – “No Place Like Home” (CBC Gem; LoCo Motion Pictures, Broken Compass Films) – Antonio Naranjo
  • The Porter, “Episode 104” – “Songbird” (CBC; Sphere Media, Inferno Pictures) – Kaïa Kater
Best Supporting Performer, Drama
  • Coroner (CBC; Muse Entertainment / Cineflix Studios / Back Alley Films) – Andy McQueen

Find the full list of 2023 Canadian Screen Awards nominations here.

Apologies if we inadvertently missed any alumni nominations; please email us at alumni@cfccreates.com to let us know so that we can celebrate you!


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