The ninth annual Canadian Screen Awards held their final night's gala on Thursday, awarding the big prizes in film and television. Tracey Deer's Oka-inspired Beans won both the John Dunning best first feature film award and best motion picture. This comes after her TIFF emerging talent award last year.
Indigenous zombie feature Blood Quantum, which was leading with 10 nominations, won seven awards, including for Montreal-based Mi’kmaq writer-director Jeff Barnaby and best lead actor for Michael Greyeyes. Click here to watch our interview with the cast of Blood Quantum.
Deepa Mehta won best director for her film Funny Boy. Her movie was initially submitted to the Oscars for best international film but was pulled out because it didn't meet the foreign language requirements. The movie also won best adapted screenplay, which was earned by Mehta and author Shyam Selvadurai, and music for composer Howard Shore.
While Michelle Pfeiffer won for best lead actress for her role in French Exit, Charles Officer's Akilla's Escape earned five trophies, including best original screenplay and cinematography. Click here to watch our interview with Charles Officer, Saul Williams and Thamela Mpumlwana.
On the television side, Schitt’s Creek won best comedy series while Catherine O’Hara won for best lead actress, and Toronto co-creator and star Daniel Levy earned a writing nod. The CBC sitcom comes to an end after a very successful run with numerous international awards. CBC’s Korean-Canadian comedy Kim’s Convenience nabbed four awards in total, including best actor for Paul Sun-Hyung Lee for his turn as Appa. ~Marriska Fernandes
List of winners:
Best Motion Picture – Beans
Best Comedy Series – Schitt’s Creek
Best Drama Series – Transplant
Achievement in Film Direction – Deepa Mehta, Funny Boy
Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Kim’s Convenience
Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series – Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek
Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series – Hamza Haq, Transplant
Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series – Crystle Lightning, Trickster
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Film Role – Michelle Pfeiffer, French Exit
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Film Role – Michael Greyeyes, Blood Quantum
Ted Rogers Best Feature Length Documentary – Wandering: A Rohingya Story, Mélanie Carrier, Olivier Higgins
Best Live Action Short Drama – Black Bodies, Kelly Fyffe-Marshall, Tamar Bird and Sasha Leigh Henry