The Whistler Film Festival awarded $74,500 in cash and production prizes for a total of 14 awards in seven juried film competitions, plus Power Pitch Competition.
By DESIBUZZCanada Staff
WHISTLER – The Whistler Film Festival (WFF) unveiled it’ 21st edition of award winners including this year’s highly anticipated Borsos Award for Best Canadian Feature awarded to Cinema of Sleep directed by Jeffrey St. Jules. The Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature is presented by the Directors Guild of Canada, British Columbia, in association with Telefilm Canada. It is the second-largest festival prize in Canada.
A total of $74,500 in cash and production prizes, with 14 awards in seven juried film competitions plus the Power Pitch Competition, have been awarded this year. An additional Audience Award winner will be announced December 28. Award-winners and other WFF online films will be available across Canada at watch.whistlerfilmfestival.com until December 31.
“I want to thank the juries for the time and care that they brought to their tasks this year,” said Paul Gratton, WFF Director of Programming. “It was a year in which a wide variety of styles and subject matter, with emerging voices holding their own alongside more experienced filmmakers and vital voices coming from all corners of our country, made the decision-making particularly challenging. Congratulations to all the winners. Bravo!”
WFF 2021 Award Winners At-A-Glance
*Borsos Award for Best Canadian Feature Film – CINEMA OF SLEEP, directed by Jeffrey St. Jules and produced by Sami Tesfazghi
*Best Director of a Borsos Competition Film sponsored by Directors Guild of Canada, BC – Luc Picard for CONFESSIONS OF A HITMAN
*Best Screenplay of a Borsos Competition Film – Sarah Fortin for NOUVEAU QUÉBEC
*Best Performance in a Borsos Competition Film – Dayo Ade in CINEMA OF SLEEP with an honourable mention to Getenesh Berhe in CINEMA OF SLEEP
*Best Cinematography in a Borsos Competition Film Presented by ICG 669 – Diego Guijarro for CARMEN
*World Documentary Award – POLY STYRENE: I AM A CLICHE directed by Celeste Bell and Paul Sng
*Best Mountain Culture Film – BURIED directed by Jared Drake and Steven Siig, with an honourable mention to PRECIOUS LEADER WOMAN directed by Cassie De Colling
*Just Watch Us: Best BC Director Award – Cassie De Colling for PRECIOUS LEADER WOMAN
*Canadian ShortWork Award – “Angakusajaujuq – The Shaman’s Apprentice,” directed by Zacharias Kunuk
*International ShortWork Award – “Isole Ciclope” directed by Ryan De Franco and Matthew Mendelson
*BC Student ShortWork Award – “A Family Act” directed by Ashley Yeung
*AWFJ EDA Best Female-Directed Narrative Feature Award – NOUVEAU QUEBEC directed by Sarah Fortin
*AWFJ EDA Best Female-Directed Narrative Feature Award – $AVVY directed by Robin Hauser
*AWFJ EDA Best Female-Directed Short Film Award – “Fanmi” directed by Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers and Carmine Pierre-Dufour
*Power Pitch Competition – Christina Saliba won the WFF Power Pitch Competition with her project WHITE NOISE
