FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Whistler Film Festival Announces 2016 Winners
​
BEFORE THE ​ STREETS Wins Borsos Award for Best Canadian Feature
CHLOÉ
​ LERICHE Wins Best Borsos Director
​ ​ KAWENNÁHERE DEVERY
​ ​ JACOBS Wins Best Performance in a Borsos Film
Honourable Mention for Performance
​
to Rykko​ Bellemare in BEFORE THE STREETS
THE CYCLOTRON
​
Wins Borsos Award for Best Screenplay
THE CYCLOTRON
​
Wins Best Cinematography in a Borsos Film
SLED DOGS & THE ​ WILL TO FLY tie for World Documentary Award
Honourable Mention for World Documentary
​
to MR. ZARITSKY ON TV
Best Mountain
​ ​ Culture Film is THE WILL TO FLY
Canadian ShortWork
​ Award goes to MUTANTS
International ShortWork
​ Award goes to TIMECODE
Best Canadian Screenplay
​
Award goes to THE HEAD VANISHES
ShortWork
​​
Student
​
Award goes to BOMBING
MPPIA Short Film
​
Award goes to GOOD GIRLS DON’T
AWFJ EDA Best Female-Directed Narrative Feature
​
Award goes to BEFORE THE STREETS
AWFJ EDA Best Female-Directed Documentary
​
Award goes to SLED DOGS
Variety 10 Screenwriters to Watch recognized
Whistler, B.C. (December 4, 2016)​: The votes are in! Winners of the 2016 Whistler Film Festival were announced
at the Awards Celebration this morning on the final day of the 16h annual Festival. ​BEFORE THE STREETS
(AVANT LES RUES)​ Canadian director Chloé Leriche’s first feature, won the $15,000 cash prize sponsored by the
Directors Guild of Canada, British Columbia and the $15,000 post-production prize sponsored by Encore
Vancouver in the 13th edition of the coveted ​Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature Film. T
​ he moving
story of Shawnouk, a young First Nations man who banishes himself into exile after committing a horrible crime
during a routine break-in at one of the local summer homes. The first feature film ever shot in the Atikamekw
language is an accomplished first film by filmmaker Chloé Leriche.
The Borsos Jury chose ​BEFORE THE STREETS​ ​for the ​Best Canadian Feature ​because “this surprising,
unexpected film grips you from its powerful, intense opening chant, to well beyond the final credits, where we found
ourselves compelled to linger, to sit, and to feel the films after-echoes wash over us. We fell in love with these
compelling characters, and gained rare insights into the bonds of family and the challenges of reservation life.”
To add to its WFF accolades, the jury awarded ​Chloé Leriche​ with ​Best Borsos Director​. Non professional actor
Rykko Bellemare​ also received an honourable mention for best performance in ​BEFORE THE STREETS.
Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs​ the lead of the Canadian film ​THE SUN AT MIDNIGHT​ took home WFF’s ​Best
Performance in a Borsos Competition Film Award​ this year. ​Devery Jacobs has given a pitch perfect
performance as the sixteen year old protagonist of THE SUN AT MIDNIGHT. She is luminous, with every fleeting
emotion reflected in her eyes. Confusion, fear, and finally wonder emanate as if from within. An actor in control of
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her craft , Devery wears her character with such ease. A simply jaw dropping turn as an actor.
The ​Borsos Award for Best Screenplay​ went to ​THE CYCLOTRON (LE CYCLOTRON)​, written by ​Olivier
Asselin and Lucille Fluet​. ​Best Cinematography​ in a Borsos Film, presented by I.A.T.S.E. Local 669, went to
cinematographer​ Mathieu Laverdière​ for THE CYCLOTRON.
WFF’s Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature jury is made up of three beloved storytellers. The jury head
is Canadian screenwriter, director and producer, ​Deepa Mehta​, best​ known for her Elements Trilogy, FIRE,
EARTH and WATER and who is attending the fest with ANATOMY OF VIOLENCE. She was joined by Hong Kong
born, NY raised ​actor, ​Tzi Ma​, who has created a score of memorable performances in both film and TV including
THE QUIET AMERICAN, LADYKILLERS, 24, RUSH HOUR 1 & 3, and most recently in Denis Villeneuve’s newly
released ARRIVAL, and ​Canadian actress, writer, director, producer, and film professor, ​Ingrid Veninger​, who
won the Borsos Award for Best Cinematography in 2015 with HE HATED PIGEONS, and stars as her younger self
in the 1984 TV movie, HOCKEY NIGHT​ ​which had it’s World Premiere of a restored theatrical print at this year’s
festival.
WFF 2016 Feature Films Eligible for the Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature:
● AN AMERICAN DREAM: THE EDUCATION OF WILLIAM BOWMAN ​(Canada) Dir. Ken Finkleman
● BEFORE THE STREETS (​ Canada) Dir. Chloé Leriche
● THE DEATH (AND LIFE) OF CARL NAARDLINGER ​(Canada) Dir. Katherine Schlemmer
● THE CYCLOTRON ​(Canada) Dir. Olivier Asselin
● GRAND UNIFIED THEORY ​(Canada) Dir. David Ray
● HUNTING PIGNUT ​(Canada) Dir. Martine Blue
● IT’S NOT MY FAULT AND I DON’T CARE ANYWAY (​ Canada) Dir. Chris Craddock
● LOST SOLACE ​(Canada) Dir. Chris Scheuerman
● LOVESICK ​(Canada) Dir. Tyson Caron
● MENORCA ​(Canada) Dir. John Barnard
● POPULATION ZERO​ (Canada) Dir. Adam Levins & Julian T. Pinder
● RAW* ​(Canada) Dir. David I. Strasser
● RED MILE ​(Canada) Dir. Justin McConnell
● THE SECOND TIME AROUND ​(Canada) Dir. Leon Marr
● THE SPACE BETWEEN ​(Canada) Dir. Amy Jo Johnson
● THE SQUEALING GAME ​(Canada) Dir. Steve Kerr
● THE SUN AT MIDNIGHT (​ Canada) Dir. Kirsten Carthew
● THE THREE LITTLE PIGS 2 (​ Canada) Dir. Jean François Pouliot
● THE VOID ​(Canada) Dir. ​Jeremy Gillespie​ & ​Steven Kostanski
The ​World Documentary Award ​sponsored by Super Channel was a tie between ​SLED DOGS d
​ irected by Fern
Levitt and ​THE WILL TO FLY ​directed by Katie Bender and Leo Baker. ​The jury deliberated and had a hard time
picking a winner but there was consensus on the top three films. In the end, they chose to give honourable mention
to ​MR. ZARITSKY ON TV​ and the award for the Best Documentary at the Whistler Film Festival is a tie between
THE WILL TO FLY and SLED DOGS.
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The World Documentary Jury includes notable documentarian and WFF Alumni ​Roger Larry ​(CITIZEN MARC),
Documentary Filmmaker ​Madeleine Grant (​ Winner of 2015 Hot Doc’s Audience Choice Award and 2015 Winner of
the Best Documentary at Whistler Film Festival for THE BACKWARD CLASS), and ​Avi Federgreen​, the talented
producer and founder of IndieCan Entertainment who is also attending with two titles at the festival, KISS AND CRY
(producer) and MENORCA (distributor).
The ​Best Mountain Culture Film Award ​presented by Whistler Blackcomb went to​ ​THE WILL TO FLY d
​ irected
by Katie Bender and Leo Baker. ​In an unanimous decision, the judges have chosen “THE WILL TO FLY as the
winner of this year’s Mountain Culture Award for the way in which it drew the audience into the subject matter,
capturing trials and victories of athletic and psychological determination. It was obvious that the filmmakers clearly
put absolutely everything into this film and the telling of Lydia’s emotional and personal story.”
The Mountain Culture Jury includes local writers and filmmakers, ​Feet Banks​, ​founding editor of Mountain Life:
Coast Mountains magazine and the co-founder of Whistler's infamous Heavy Hitting HorrorFest, and ​Rebecca
Wood Barrett​, five-time finalist of the World Ski and Snowboard Festival’s 72 Hour Filmmaker Showdown, and
pro-athlete, two-time ​Red Bull Cold Rush winner, ​and filmmaker ​Sean Pettit​, who has ​produced several
award-winning ski films under his company Superproof Inc.
The ShortWork Jury includes director and WFF Alumni ​Jamie Dagg​ (RIVER won three of five Borsos Awards for
Best Canadian Feature in 2015), ​award-winning Canadian independent filmmaker, writer and artist ​Ann Marie
Fleming​, and director, writer and WFF Alumni​ Jem Garrard​ (winner of WFF’s 2015 Best Canadian Short
Screenplay award for THE WOLF WHO CAME TO DINNER).
The ​$1,000 Canadian ShortWork Award ​went to ​MUTANTS ​directed by Alexandre Dostie. “The winner of this
award offered a truly offensive, visceral, realistic, and moving look at human relationships all through the lens of a
baseball team. ​The director got strong, believable performances from the entire cast and created a truly cinematic
experience. ​The Canadian Shortwork Award goes to Alexandre Dostie for MUTANTS.”
The ​International ShortWork Award ​went to ​TIMECODE​ by​ Juanjo Gimenez.​ “​For an unexpectedly beautiful
piece that shows us how sometimes our common humanity is best shared and celebrated through the movement of
body, the jury awards the​ ​International Shortwork Award to TIMECODE directed Juanjo Gimenez.”
Best Canadian Screenplay Award​, presented by Langara College went to​ THE HEAD VANISHES​, directed by
Franck Dion​. “​The jury would like to present the Best Canadian Screenplay Award to a very moving short Canadian
film, which is able to convey with minimal dialogue, a nuanced and difficult journey, exploring the inner experiences
of both a mother and daughter, dealing with Alzheimer’s. The winner is Franck Dion’s ​THE HEAD VANISHES​.”
The ​$500 ShortWork Student Award ​went to​ ​BOMBING​, directed by Gloria Mercer. “​For the sophistication of the
filmmaking and for pulling exceptionally strong performances from the cast the jury awards the BC Student
Shortwork Award to BOMBING directed by Gloria Mercer. Gloria, you’ve got good instincts, follow them, they’ll take
you far.”
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The ​MPPIA Short Film Award​, presented by MPPIA and Creative BC, was awarded to Ana De Lara (BC) for
GOOD GIRLS DON’T​. The award consists of a $15,000 cash award plus up to $100,000 in services. The
completed project will have its world premiere screening at the 2017 Whistler Film Festival.
The MPPIA Short Film Award Jury includes the director of GRAND UNIFIED THEORY, ​David Ray​, Brightlight
Pictures’ Director of Production & Development, ​Arielle Boisvert​, and ​Kyle Irving​, producer of LOVESICK,
receiving its world premiere at WFF.
The Alliance of Women Film Journalists presents the EDA Award for ​Best Female-Directed D
​ ocumentary​ to
SLED DOGS ​directed by ​Fern Levitt​. “​The Alliance of Women Film Journalists jury commends Whistler Film
Festival for this programming of a controversial documentary that reveals egregious abuse of animals within its
hometown and at other locales where dog sledding is a popular pursuit and profitable business. In Fern Levitt's
SLED DOGS, we see that some owners have little or no regard their animals' comfort and well being, often treating
them in ways that are tantamount to torture, and then callously killing them when they can no longer serve to
satisfaction. Our jury found SLED DOGS to be difficult to watch, heartbreaking and unforgettable, This is a
documentary that can lead the way towards change for the better. We present the AWFJ EDA Award for Best
Female-Directed Documentary to the very compelling and well-crafted SLED DOGS directed by Fern Levitt.”
The Alliance of Women Film Journalists presents the EDA Award for ​Best Female-Directed Narrative Feature ​to
Chloé Leriche for ​BEFORE THE STREETS f​ or a film in which we are observers in a story told with a fully
naturalistic approach. We become immersed in the narrative, almost as if a video-camera were chasing real life. As
the first film shot in Atikamekw, a dialect,of the Algonquian Cree language, it is an engaging portrait of a young man
who finds himself in an awful situation, one in which he's forced to come to terms with his actions. Free of
excessive writing and preconceived dramatic notions, BEFORE THE STREETS is beautiful in the simplicity of its
storytelling and performance. We present the AWFJ EDA Award for Best Female-Directed Narrative Feature to
BEFORE THE STREETS, directed by Chloé Leriche.
The Alliance of Woman Female Journalists (AWFJ) EDA Award Jury for Best Female-Directed Narrative Feature
includes: ​Katherine Brodsky​, ​Variety – Jury Chair​; ​Marina Antunes​, ​Quiet Earth, Row Three; ​Giulia D'Agnolo
Villan​, ​il manifesto; ​Laura Emerick​, ​Chicago Sun Times; and ​Julide Tanriverdi​, ​Geek Magazine. The ​AWFJ
EDA Award ​Jury for Best Female-Directed Documentary includes: ​Jennifer Merin​, Women's eNews – Jury Chair;
Cynthia Fuchs​, ​PopMatters.com; ​Leba Hertz​, ​San Francisco Chronicle; ​Katherine Monk​, ​ExPress.com, CBC;
and ​Dorothy Woodend​, ​The Tyree.
Variety’s Vice President and Executive Editor Steven Gaydos acknowledged the ​Variety 10 Screenwriters to
Watch​, five of whom were present: ​Variety’s class of 2016 screenwriters and notable credits include: ​Noah
Oppenheim​ - JACKIE; ​Allison Schroeder​ - HIDDEN FIGURES; ​Luke Davies​ - LION*; ​Celine Sciamma​ - MY
LIFE AS A COURGETTE; ​Pamela Ribon​ -​ M
​ OANA*; ​Olivia Milch​ -OCEAN’S EIGHT; ​K​ristina Lauren
Anderson​ - CATHERINE THE GREAT; ​Jojo Moyes​ - ME BEFORE YOU*; ​Todd Komarnick​i - SULLY*; and
Jonas Cuaron​ - DESIERTO*.
The winner of the Audience Award presented will be announced in the festival’s wrap-up announcement. The
award is a non-cash prize presented to the highest-rated film as voted by the WFF audience.
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The complete festival wrap-up will be announced on Tuesday, December 6.
The Whistler Film Festival + Summit are supported by Telefilm Canada, the Province of British Columbia, the
Resort Municipality of Whistler, the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation and the American Friends of Whistler, funded
by the Government of Canada through Western Economic Diversification, and is sponsored by Creative BC,
Variety, The Harold Greenberg Fund, Cineplex, Tourism Whistler, Whistler Blackcomb, Gibbons Whistler and the
Westin Resort & Spa Whistler.
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Media inquiries, please contact:
Lindsay Nahmiache | Partner I Jive Communications
[email protected]​ | Vancouver: 604.889.7996 I LA: 310.753.7968
The ​Whistler Film Festival Society is a charitable cultural organization dedicated to furthering the art of film by
providing programs that focus on the discovery, development and promotion of new talent culminating with a must
attend festival for artists, industry and audiences in Whistler. Find out more at ​whistlerfilmfestival.com​.
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