I wanted this story out in the world. For it to be celebrated at this level, my heart is so full, bursting with gratitude. Thank you and congrats to our producer Anne-Marie Gelinas. What a journey! So many years. Thank you for sticking with it through all the challenges. ❤️ https://t.co/Vk1F1tOO3M
— Tracey Deer (@traceydeer) May 21, 2021
While the Canadian television scene did quite well in the year of the pandemic, Canadian film had a much more difficult time. The major award winners from the 9th Canadian Screen Awards, given out online this week, reflect that reality.
Beans, which was featured at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival, won Best Motion Picture and the John Dunning Best First Feature Film Award for Tracey Deer. Deer wrote and directed the story based on her experiences during the Oka Crisis in 1990.
The film only received 5 nominations yet won 2 major prizes.
Funny Boy wasn't ultimately the Oscars selection but did win a couple of Canadian Screen Awards. The flawed screenplay from Shyam Selvadurai and Deepa Mehta won Adapted Screenplay. Mehta also won for Best Director.
@TheCdnAcademy #CdnScreenAwardWinner Utterly gobsmacked by this honour. Thank you all the voters in the Academy and sincere congratulations to all the other nominees and to the winners from BLOOD QUANTUM by @tripgore @ProspectorFilms @Elevation_Pics pic.twitter.com/tVhiu6uB0H
— Michael Greyeyes (@MichaelGreyeyes) May 21, 2021
Michael Greyeyes, currently starring in the U.S. show Rutherford Falls, won Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for Blood Quantum, one of the best Canadian films of the year. Americans do sometimes win Canadian Screen Awards: American actor Michelle Pfeiffer won Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for French Exit, a "Canadian film" with little about Canada other than Susan Coyne and Daniel di Tomasso.
You only have to go back 3 years when Canadian Screen Awards film acting awards went to non-Canadians: Ethan Hawke and Sally Hawkins (Maudie) as well as Bahar Noohian Ava.
Colm Feore won Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for Sugar Daddy. This is Feore's first Canadian film win: he had been previously nominated for Genies in Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for Bon Cop, Bad Cop (2006) and The Perfect Son (2000).
Mary Walsh won Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for Happy Place. This is Walsh's first Canadian film win: she has been nominated in this category in Crackie (2009) and New Waterford Girl (1999).
2021 Canadian Screen Awards preview
2021 Canadian Screen Awards nominations
2021 Canadian Screen Awards nominations: Film
Charles Officer and Wendy Brathwaite won Original Screenplay for Akilla’s Escape. Jeff Barnaby did an amazing job with Blood Quantum.
The critically acclaimed short film Black Bodies won more accolades, this time Best Live Action Short Drama for Kelly Fyffe-Marshall, Tamar Bird, and Sasha Leigh Henry.
The Best Feature Length Documentary went to Wandering: A Rohingya Story.
CanadianCrossing.com film coverage
You can catch up with all of the winners going back to Monday night.
The Canadian Screen Awards had narrators in 2021 like they had in 2020. They were Ginella Massa, Priyanka, Eric Bauza, Donté Colley, Tyrone Edwards, Nahéma Ricci, Karine Vanasse, and Stephan James.
The 2021 Canadian Screen Awards are presented by CBC and CTV with the support of Telefilm Canada and Canada Media Fund.
Twitter captures: @traceydeer; @michaelgreyeyes
photo credit: Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television
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