May was a magical month for CFC alumni, who took home numerous awards, including 35 wins at this year’s Canadian Screen Awards. Additionally, many alumni have been announced as nominees for various awards, and will be taking part in festivals such as Tribeca Film Festival, Breakthroughs Film Festival, BANFF World Media Festival, and more. See below for the latest scoop on alumni news and updates.

Beans

AWARDS & NOMINATIONS

CANADIAN SCREEN AWARDS

• CFC alumni took home 35 awards across film, TV and digital, including Best Feature for CFC Features-supported BEANS, from Tracey Deer. Read the full list of alumni winners here: CFC Alumni Score Top Prizes at Canadian Screen Awards

ROGERS AUDIENCE AWARDS AT HOT DOCS

CFC alum worked on four of the winning films at this year’s Rogers Audience Awards at Hot Docs

• FANNY: The Right to Rock, executive produced by Ina Fichman
• Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy, written/directed/produced by Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, produced by Lori Lozinski, edited by Hans Olson
• Someone Like Me, produced/executive produced by Shirley Vercruysse
• Hell or Clean Water, edited by Justin Simms

See full list of winners here.

BMO-DOC VANGUARD AWARD

• Filmmaker Lisa Jackson received the BMO-DOC Vanguard Award from the DOC Institute. The award honours a mid-career filmmaker nominated by their peers for advancing the documentary craft and elevating the next generation of filmmakers. Watch her powerful and heartfelt acceptance speech, where she also pays homage to the Indigenous film community, here.

DOXA DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS

• The DOXA Documentary Film Festival screened the documentary, Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy by alum Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers’ The documentary introduces viewers to members of the Kainai First nations and walks them through the devastating opioid crisis faced by its people. The gripping film won Elle-Máijá Best Canadian Director and Best Feature Documentary at the DOXA Festival. Read more here.

DAYTIME EMMY AWARDS

• Slaight Music alum Virginia Kilbertus is nominated for Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for a Daytime Program for Endlings on Hulu.

2021 GOLDEN SHEAF AWARD WINNERS

• Kathleen Shannon Award: Kalinga (Care), from current The Norman Jewison Film resident Kent Donguines
• Animation: 4 North A, co-directed by Jordan Canning
• Documentary Science/Nature/Technology: Reef Rescue, directed by Su Rynard
• Scripted: Promise Me, directed by Alison Duke
• Director – Fiction: Promise Me, directed by Alison Duke

See the full list of winners here.

PARIS FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS

• Current Slaight Music resident Alexandra Petkovski, known by her artist name FJØRA, won the award for Best Original Song at the Paris Film Festival for her song “Déjà Vu” – the Deathloop game theme song (for PlayStation)

WGC JIM BURT SCREENWRITING PRIZE NOMINEES

Three CFC alumni are among the five 2021 nominees for the bi-annual Jim Burt Screenwriting Prize awarded for best-unproduced long-form script:

• Magnificent, written by Travis McDonald
• Sluggy and Bogie, written by Tommy Gushue
• Struck, written by Lynne Kamm

ROCKIE AWARDS INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM COMPETITION NOMINEES

The following alumni content has been nominated for the 2021 Rockie Awards International Program Competition:

• Transplant, created by alum Joseph Kay, was nominated in the Drama Series: English Language category
• Detention Adventure, produced by Lauren Corber’s LoCo Motion Pictures, was nominated in the Live Action: Youth category
• I Was Lorena Bobbitt, directed by Danishka Esterhazy, was nominated in the TV Movie category
• Odd Squad Mobile Unit, which sees Warren P. Sonoda as a director, was nominated in the Live Action: Children category
• Hey Lady!, with episodes directed by alumnae Sarah Polley and Adriana Maggs, was nominated in the Short Fiction Program category
• Baroness von Sketch Show, which saw lots of alumni involved as directors (Jordan Canning, Jeremy LaLonde, Vivieno Caldinelli) and editors (Jeremy LaLonde, Michael Pierro, Aren Hansen) over its five-season run, was nominated in the Comedy & Variety category
• The Book of Distance, from creator Randall Okita, was nominated in the Interactive: Youth category
• Toxic Beauty, produced by Peter Raymont’s White Pine Pictures, was nominated in the Science & Technology category
• Highway to Heaven, produced by Shirley Vercruysse, was nominated in the Short Non-Fiction Program category

See the full list of nominations here. The winners will be announced in a live-streamed ceremony on YouTube on June 15.

LEO AWARDS NOMINEES

Several CFC alumni have been nominated for this year’s Leo Awards, celebrating excellence in British Columbia film and TV:

• Monkey Beach, produced by Jason James is nominated for Best Motion Picture
• Greg Ng is nominated for Best Picture Editing – Motion Picture for Sniper: Assassin’s End,
• David Brisbin is nominated for Best Production Design Motion Picture for A Babysitter’s Guide To Monster Hunting
• David Weaver is nominated for Best Direction Television Movie for Sleeping with Danger
• Amy Belling is nominated for Best Cinematography Television Movie for Five Star Christmas
• The Order, from creator Dennis Heaton is nominated for Best Dramatic Series
• Warrior Nun, from executive producer Stephen Hegyes is nominated for Best Dramatic Series
• Rachel Langer is nominated for Best Screenwriting Dramatic Series for Transplant, “Your Secrets Can Kill You”(season 1, episode 3)
• The Magnitude of All Things, produced by Shirley Vercruysse is nominated for Best Feature-Length Documentary
• Martha, produced by alum Shirley Vercruysse, is nominated for Best Short Documentary
• On Falling, directed by Josephine Anderson is nominated for Best Short Documentary,
• Josephine Anderson is nominated for Best Direction Short Documentary and Best Picture Editing Short Documentary for On Falling
• Sonja Bennett is nominated for Best Screenwriting, Music, Comedy or Variety Program or Series for Letterkenny – Scorched Earth
• Ann Marie Fleming is nominated for Best Direction Animation Program for Old Dog
• Dorg Van Dango, produced by Kirsten Newlands, is nominated for Best Animation Series

See full list of nominees here.

See For Me

FESTIVALS

INSIDE OUT FESTIVAL
May 27 – June 6, 2021

• Bloodthirsty (Spotlight on Canada stream): Michael Peterson (producer), music by Michelle Osis
• Dawn, Her Dad & The Tractor (Spotlight on Canada stream): Shelley Thompson (writer/director/producer)
• Fanny: The Right to Rock (Icons stream): Ina Fichman (producer)
• Querencia (Shorts and Episodic stream): current The Norman Jewison Film Program resident Mary Galloway (writer/director), Maureen Grant (editor)
• International Dawn Chorus Day (Shorts: Local Heroes): John Greyson (writer/director)
• You Will Still Be Here Tomorrow (Shorts: Local Heroes): Michael Hanley (writer/director), Jonathan Watton (actor), Rebeka Herron and Heidi Tan (producers), Pauline Decroix (editor)
• Trashed (Shorts: Sparks Fly): Alyson Richards (director)

See full list and schedule details here.

TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL
JUNE 9 – 20, 2021

• Alumni project See For Me is set to make its world premiere as a part of the new Tribeca Online Premieres section. See For Me follows a blind former skier who faces three thieves while cat-sitting in a secluded mansion, and her only defence is an army veteran who helps defend her against the invaders through a phone app. CFC alumni involved in this feature include Randall Okita (director), Tommy Gushue (co-writer), Matt Code (producer), featuring actors Emily Piggford and Matthew Gouveia, with music by Joseph Murray and Lodewijk Vos.

BANFF World Media Festival
JUNE 16 – JULY 16, 2021

The following CFC alumni have been named 2021 participants of the Netflix-BANFF Diversity of Voices Initiative:

• Shant Joshi
• Andy Marshall
• Reem Morsi
• Boris Rodriguez
• Ian Steaman
• Damon D’Oliveira
• Kent Donguines

See full list here.

BREAKTHROUGHS FILM FESTIVAL
JUNE 16 – 20, 2021

Two alumni short films were announced as part of the lineup for this year’s Breakthroughs Film Festival:

• CFC Short Film Parkdale (2011), from co-writer/director Lisa Jackson, co-writer Bonnie Fairweather, produced by Lauren Grant and Lori Lozinski, edited by Kye Meechan
• Bootleg, from writer/director Reem Morsi

See full list here.

The Parker Andersons

FOR YOUR WATCHLIST

• Check out Rutherford Falls, a new comedy about two lifelong best friends, Nathan Rutherford (Ed Helms) and Reagan Wells (Jana Schmieding), who find themselves at a crossroads – quite literally – when their sleepy town gets an unexpected wakeup call, edited by Christine Armstrong; watch on Showcase and STACKTV
• Watch action thriller Nobody, featuring Actors Conservatory alumni Araya Mengesha and Humberly González, on demand now
• You can also catch Humberly in Jupiter’s Legacy, which dropped on Netflix on May 7
• Catch up on new episodes of related sitcoms The Parker Andersons and Amelia Parker, which follow the lives of a blended interracial family, on Mondays on Super Channel’s Heart & Home channel; Ian Steaman and Murry Peeters are writers on the series

FOR YOUR PLAYLIST

Listen to the following songs from alum of the Slaight Family Music Lab:

• Onyx, a new album from FJØRA (current Slaight Family Music Lab resident Alexandra Petkovski) is out now
• Soft, a new album from Kat Burns, is out now
• “Wild Again” by Ava; find it on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube
• “Don’t Be Afraid” by TiKA; the theme Song for 21 Black Futures on CBC/CBC Gem, on Spotify
• “Human Heart” by TiKA on bandcamp
• “Chasing the Fall (Acoustic)” by The Darcys on Spotify

ALUMNI INDUSTRY NEWS AND UPDATES

• Filmmaker and Eagle Vision partner Kyle Irving has been named to the Order of Manitoba
• The lineup for Pride Toronto’s virtual celebrations includes Slaight Music alum Allie X
• Production wraps on Madison Thomas’ second feature Finality of Dusk, a post-apocalyptical sci-fi feature, is produced by Eagle Vision partners Rebecca Gibson and alum Kyle Irving, as well as Darcy Waite
• Cameras are rolling in Nova Scotia on new episodes of Floyd Kane-created drama, with alum Cory Bowles, Lynne Stopkewich, and Juanita Peters among this season’s directors.
• Wendy Ord tapped to helm B.C.-shot rom-com The Way to the Heart
• Corus unveils 35 greenlights and renewals. HISTORY channel has four new series, including Hungry Eyes Media and Corus Studios’ BLK: An Origin Story, a four-part docuseries on the history of Black Canadians” –Hungry Eyes Media is an alum company by Jennifer Holness and Sudz Sutherland
• Mohawk filmmaker and alum Tracey Deer’s debut feature Beans to receive Crystal Bear award at Berlinale Summer Special
• Golden Globe, Emmy and Canadian Screen Award winner Andrew Barnsley cast as President of Toronto Film School
• Canadian production company Red Hill Entertainment is heading into production on feature drama A Hundred Lies, starring alum Brandon McKnight

ALUMNI! DO YOU HAVE NEWS TO SHARE? WANT TO UPDATE YOUR ALUMNI PROFILE? GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT ALUMNI@CFCCREATES.COM. 

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