Tag Archives: Awards

Awards, Featured

2025 WGC Screenwriting Awards Winners Announced

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From a media release:

The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) announced the winners of the 29th annual WGC Screenwriting Awards tonight at Koerner Hall in Toronto. The gala brought together hundreds of screenwriters, industry professionals, and fans—all in celebration of excellence in screenwriting for Canadian film, television, and digital media.

This year’s winners include Jagjiwan Sohal for Comedy Series (Late Bloomer, “The Turban”), Michael Konyves for Drama Series (Wild Cards, “The Infinity Thief”), Jason Buxton for Feature Film (Sharp Corner), Evany Rosen for Tweens & Teens (Davey & Jonesie’s Locker, “Orange is the New Snack”), and many more across 10 categories.

Special honours were also presented:

  • Leah Johnston received the Sondra Kelly Award, generously sponsored by AFBS.
  • Faisal Lutchmedial was awarded the Jim Burt Screenwriting Prize for Through the Eyes of an Ibis.
  • With supporting partner, the Canadian Academy, the Margaret Collier Award was presented to Andrew Wreggitt.
  • The prestigious Showrunner Award was awarded to Matt Schiller for his outstanding work in the kids and teen space.

Hosted by Andrew Phung (Kim’s Convenience, Run the Burbs) and Jonathan Langdon (Run the Burbs, Open Season: Call of Nature), the gala featured lively moments, and presentations by well-known industry professionals and creators, including maxine bailey (Executive Director, Canadian Film Centre), Joan Digba (Jane, Beyond Black Beauty), Mark Ellis (Allegiance, Flashpoint), Jason Filiatrault (The Order, Entanglement), Allan Hawko (Saint-Pierre, Republic of Doyle), Jamie Thomas King (The Tudors, The Light Before the Sun), Meg MacKay (This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Don’t Even), Thomas Santram (Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Cineplex Entertainment, and Chair of the Canadian Academy’s Board of Directors), Robina Lord-Stafford (Saint-Pierre, Wild Cards), Supinder Wraich (Allegiance, Sort Of), and Sugith Varughese (Kim’s Convenience, Transplant).

The WGC also unveiled the new award statue. Like screenwriting itself, the abstract design is open to interpretation. Each viewer may see something different — a folded script, a wing, a hand, or a torch. The artist, Luisé Cisneros Alavez, was inspired by the themes of creativity, freedom, unity, and diversity.

2025 WGC SCREENWRITING AWARDS WINNERS

CHILDREN’S
Open Season: Call of Nature, “Cash Camp Pt 1 & 2” | Written by Mike Girard

COMEDY SERIES
Late Bloomer, “The Turban” | Written by Jagjiwan Sohal

DRAMA SERIES
Wild Cards, “The Infinity Thief” | Written by Michael Konyves

DOCUMENTARY
Altona | Written by The Affolter Brothers (Heath Affolter, Nathan Affolter, Thomas Affolter, and Jon Affolter)

FEATURE FILM
Sharp Corner | Written by Jason Buxton

MOW & MINISERIES
Gilded Newport Mysteries: Murder at the Breakers | Written by Keri Ferencz

PRESCHOOL
Luna, Chip & Inkie Adventure Rangers Go, “Lights, Camera, Save Eagle Creek!” | Written by Shelley Hoffman & Robert Pincombe

SHORT FILMS (UNDER 60 MINUTES)
Let Me In | Written by Joel Buxton

SHORT SERIES (EPISODES UNDER 15 MINUTES)
Space Janitors, “Clones War” | Written by Brendan Halloran

TWEENS & TEENS
Davey & Jonesie’s Locker, “Orange is the New Snack” | Written by Evany Rosen

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Allegiance, Awards, Featured

Banff World Media Festival unites Gala Awards & Rockie Awards in landmark event

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From a media release:

The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) is thrilled to announce that for the first time, the prestigious Banff Gala Awards and the Rockie Awards International Program Competition will unite in a single, must-attend event—creating an unparalleled celebration of industry excellence. This milestone event will honor both the entertainment industry’s most influential talent and business leaders and the most exceptional content from around the world. The highly anticipated in-person awards show will take place on Monday, June 9th at 5:30pm MT (4:30pm PT/ 7:30pm ET) during the Festival, bringing together industry leaders, talent, and creators for an unforgettable night of recognition and celebration.

The Banff Gala Honours recognize visionary executives, creatives, and changemakers shaping the global media landscape. Gala Honours recipients will be announced at a later date. Meanwhile, the Rockie Awards International Program Competition celebrates the best in television and digital media, with this year’s competition featuring 152 nominees from 22 countries across 30 categories, selected from entries submitted by 45 countries.

The Rockie Awards Grand Jury chooses the coveted Grand Jury Prize, selected from the top-scoring programs across the entire field of nominees. This year’s esteemed Grand Jury includes:

Hojin Kwon
Senior Executive Director
SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System)

Adam Lewinson
Chief Content Officer
Tubi

Meghan Lyvers
Executive Director, Original Scripted UK & Ireland
Sky

Sitarah Pendelton-Eaglin
EVP, Head of Unscripted Series
SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Networks

Christian Vesper
CEO, Global Drama and Film
Fremantle

“For the first time ever, we’re bringing together the prestigious Gala Awards and the Rockies into one incredible event. This will be a spectacular night celebrating the industry’s most influential leaders alongside the world’s top creative talent — all in one room, under one roof. With so many groundbreaking creators and executives in attendance, this year’s show promises to be an unforgettable, must-see celebration of excellence in global entertainment,” said Jenn Kuzmyk, Executive Director.

In addition to the Grand Jury Prize, the $25,000 Rogers Prize for Excellence in Canadian Content, awarded to the top Canadian production and the Prix Francophone for the top French language production will also be awarded as well as other special awards including the Carrie Hunter Emerging Talent Prize. In total, 30 awards will be bestowed in the category streams of Documentary & Factual, Arts & Entertainment, Children & Youth, Scripted, and Podcast. This year’s lineup also introduces two new categories – Best Performance in a Drama and Best Performance in a Comedy – which recognize outstanding recurring performances in a scripted comedic and dramatic series.

Leading nominations by company are:
● BBC – 28 nominations
● National Geographic – 7 nominations
● Hulu – 7 nominations
● Disney Television Studios – 5 nominations
● Audible – 5 nominations

Leading nominations by country are:
● USA – 54 nominations
● UK – 52 nominations
● CANADA – 35 nominations
● AUSTRALIA – 7 nominations
● BELGIUM – 5 nominations
● FRANCE – 5 nominations
● SOUTH KOREA – 5 nominations

Additional countries represented in the nominations are:
● CHINA
● FINLAND
● GERMANY
● INDIA
● IRELAND
● ISRAEL
● ITALY
● JAPAN
● MEXICO
● NEW ZEALAND
● NORWAY
● SINGAPORE
● SPAIN
● SWEDEN
● TAIWAN

See all the nominees here, including one for Allegiance‘s Supinder Wraich (pictured above).

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Awards, Featured

Nominations for the 2025 WGC Screenwriting Awards announced

From a media release:

Recognizing the talent behind the most engaging and powerful Canadian-made series, films, and shorts, the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) is pleased to announce the nominations for the 29th annual WGC Screenwriting Awards. The Awards will take place at Koerner Hall in Toronto on Monday, April 28, co-hosted by Andrew Phung and Jonathan Langdon, and written by Anthony Q. Farrell.

In contention for the 2025 awards are scripts from Late Bloomer (Lakna Edirisinghe, Jagjiwan Sohal, Shebli Zarghami), Allegiance (Anar Ali, Sarah Dodd, Mark Ellis, Penny Gummerson, Stephanie Morgenstern), Open Season: Call of Nature (Mike Girard, Joel Buxton, Tom Berger), Popularity Papers (Kyah Green, JP Larocque, Vivian Lin), Wilfred Buck (Lisa Jackson), Sharp Corner (Jason Buxton), and many others.

Please see the complete list of categories and nominees below.

In addition to the 10 featured screenwriting categories, one WGC member will be awarded the prestigious Showrunner Award, a special prize honouring a recognized showrunner who has demonstrated great writing and leadership skills. Other special prizes will be awarded, including the Jim Burt Screenwriting Prize, and the Sondra Kelly Award, which is generously supported by AFBS.

New this year, the Margaret Collier Award will be presented as part of the WGC Screenwriting Awards, with supporting partner, the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television (the Canadian Academy). Started in 1986 by the Canadian Academy at the annual Gemini Awards, and then as part of the Canadian Screen Awards in 2013, the Margaret Collier Award honours a Canadian writer or team of writers for their outstanding body of work in film or television. This distinguished award is named after Margaret Collier, who began her career at ACTRA in 1964, and played a pivotal role in establishing the Writers Guild of Canada, serving as its first Executive Director from 1991 to 1994.

CHILDREN’S

  • Camp Snoopy, “Sally’s Tooth” | Written by Carly DeNure
  • Hamsters of Hamsterdale, “The Potato King” | Written by Madeleine Patton
  • Open Season: Call of Nature, “Cash Camp Pt 1 & 2” | Written by Mike Girard
  • Open Season: Call of Nature, “Squirrel Down” | Written by Joel Buxton
  • Open Season: Call of Nature, “What a Chinook” | Written by Tom Berger
  • Zokie of Planet Ruby, “Los Muchos Amores de Earl” | Written by Dan Dillabough

COMEDY SERIES

  • Children Ruin Everything, “Bedtime” | Written by Andrew De Angelis
  • Don’t Even, “Skidmark, My Heart” | Written by Eva Thomas
  • Late Bloomer, “Heat Check” | Written by Lakna Edirisinghe
  • Late Bloomer, “The Turban” | Written by Jagjiwan Sohal
  • Late Bloomer, “Turn Down for What” | Written by Shebli Zarghami
  • Sort of, “Sort of Hospital Again” | Written by Tricia Fish

DRAMA SERIES

  • Allegiance, “8 x 6” | Written by Mark Ellis & Stephanie Morgenstern
  • Allegiance, “The Legacy” | Written by Penny Gummerson
  • Allegiance, “Pilot” | Written by Anar Ali
  • Allegiance, “Safe Harbours” | Written by Anar Ali & Sarah Dodd
  • Murdoch Mysteries, “Rhapsody in Blood” | Written by Christina Ray
  • Wild Cards, “The Infinity Thief” | Written by Michael Konyves

DOCUMENTARY

  • Altona | Written by Heath Affolter, Nathan Affolter, Thomas Affolter, and Jon Affolter
  • Botanical Jungle, “Peony Extravaganza” | Written by Thomas Conway & Michael Sykora
  • Wilfred Buck | Written by Lisa Jackson

FEATURE FILM

  • The Invisibles | Story by Andrew Currie/Screenplay by Andrew Currie & Colin Aussant
  • Out Come the Wolves | Story by Joris Jarsky, Adam MacDonald, and Enuka Okuma/Screenplay by Enuka Okuma
  • Sharp Corner | Written by Jason Buxton
  • We Forgot to Break Up | Story by Pat Mills & Zoe Whittall/Screenplay by Noel Baker

MOW & MINISERIES

  • Gilded Newport Mysteries: Murder at the Breakers | Written by Keri Ferencz
  • Guess Who | Written by Matt Wells, Ian Carpenter, and Aaron Martin
  • Legend of the Lost Locket | Written by Michelle Ricci

PRESCHOOL

  • Dylan’s Playtime Adventures, “Dylan the Firefighter” | Written by Emer Connon
  • Go Togo, “Arctic Chill” | Written by Celeste Koon
  • Let’s Go, Bananas!, “Yelloween” | Written by Brandon Hackett
  • Let’s Go, Bananas!, “Papa the Daddy” | Written By Aaron Eves
  • Luna, Chip & Inkie Adventure Rangers Go, “Lights, Camera, Save Eagle Creek!” | Written by Shelley Hoffman & Robert Pincombe
  • Luna, Chip & Inkie Adventure Rangers Go, “Who’s Your Mama?” | Written by Tony Tran
  • Vida the Vet, “Kipp’s Dizzy Mystery” | Written by Gillian Pike

SHORT FILMS (UNDER 60 MINUTES)

  • Jim Henson’s The Storyteller – The Seven Ravens | Written by Simon Racioppa
  • Let Me In | Written by Joel Buxton
  • Memento Mori | Written by Emily Hurson & Andrew Moodie

SHORT SERIES (EPISODES UNDER 15 MINUTES)

  • Get Up Aisha, “Exercise” | Written by Nisha Khan, Rabiya Mansoor, and Marushka Almeida
  • Near or Far, “The Phone Call” | Written by Duana Taha
  • Nesting, “Money” | Written by Rosa Laborde
  • Space Janitors, “Clones War” | Written by Brendan Halloran
  • Stories from my Gay Grandparents, “Dodging Balls” | Written by Perrie Voss & Scott Farley

TWEEN & TEENS

  • Davey & Jonesie’s Locker, “Orange is the New Snack” | Written by Evany Rosen
  • Media Stamped, “What’s in a Frame?” | Written by Nicole Stamp
  • Popularity Papers, “Let’s Sick Together” | Written by JP Larocque & Vivian Lin
  • Popularity Papers, “Odds Squads” | Written by Kyah Green & Vivian Lin
  • Popularity Papers, “The Wonderful Wizard of Mapleview Part 2” | Written by Vivian Lin
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Awards, Featured, Vollies

Screen Nova Scotia announces 2023 award winners

From a media release:

Screen Nova Scotia hosted its ninth annual awards gala on Saturday, May 13th, in the Schooner Ballroom at Casino Nova Scotia in front of a sold-out crowd of industry members and supporters. The event celebrates the incredible talent, creativity, and passion that are the trademarks of Nova Scotia’s screen industry. Awards included the ACTRA Maritimes Awards for Outstanding Performances, the Groundbreaking Performance Award, the Film Crew Excellence Award, the Women in Film & Television – Atlantic Best Nova Scotia Director Award, and the Community Recognition Award, along with the Screen Nova Scotia Awards for Best Scripted and Unscripted Television Series, Best Feature, Documentary and Short films, Best Animated Series and Outstanding Achievement in Editing.

The night’s finale was the Screen Nova Scotia Award for Best Feature Film, presented by Tim Halman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change as well as Chair of Treasury Board and Policy Board with the Province of Nova Scotia, which went to Queens of the Qing Dynasty, the sophomore film from Cape Breton filmmaker Ashley McKenzie (Hi-Vis Films). Inspired by two teenagers McKenzie befriended during the casting of her debut Werewolf (2016), the film follows Star (Sarah Walker), a neurodiverse teen recovering from a suicide attempt in a Nova Scotia hospital, and the friendship she develops with An (Ziyin Zheng), a genderqueer volunteer assigned to watch her.

The second season of the Bell Fibe TV1 series Vollies from Canadian Content Studios was crowned the winner of the Best Television Series – Scripted Award. Jonathan Torrens (Trailer Park Boys, Letterkenny, Mr. D) leads a cast of quirky newcomers in this fresh, funny comedy series that follows the Essex-West-Essex Fire Department, a small-town volunteer fire department that never has any actual fires to fight.

The Best Documentary Film Award went to On the Fringe, from producer Nancy Kenny (Broken Turtle Productions) and director Cory Thibert. The road trip doc follows a ragtag crew of performing artists as they journey across the country to perform their work on the Canadian Fringe Festival circuit. The Best Nova Scotia Director Award from Women in Film & Television – Atlantic went to director Jackie Torrens (Peep Media) for the critically-acclaimed feature documentary Bernie Langille Wants To Know What Happened to Bernie Langille.

Two new awards were handed out at the show, including the award for Best Television Series – Unscripted, sponsored by the Directors Guild of Canada. The winner was Living in Flow, produced by Gorgeous Mistake Productions and directed by Meaghan Wright (Mirror Image Media Inc.). The VICE Canada docuseries follows six Atlantic Canadian youth facing different mental health challenges.

The new award for Outstanding Achievement in Editing went to veteran editor Kimberlee McTaggart, who was also nominated this year for a Canadian Screen Award for her work on the TV series Moonshine. An editor in the film and television industry for over 25 years, she works in drama, documentary, and comedy. Series credits include Diggstown, Pure, SEED, Call Me Fitz, and This Hour has 22 Minutes.

“Congratulations to all the nominees and award winners,” said Laura Mackenzie, Executive Director, Screen Nova Scotia. “Tonight we celebrate our industry and all those who contributed to bringing authentic and compelling Nova Scotian stories to life.”

Koumbie’s feature film directorial debut Bystanders proved to be a showcase for local talent, with both Taylor Olson and Marlee Sansom taking home trophies from ACTRA Maritimes for Outstanding Performances for their roles in the film. Bystanders (Picture Plant Ltd.) tells the story of six childhood best friends who gather for their annual weekend away, only to discover that one of them is guilty of sexual assault.

The Groundbreaking Performance Award, which celebrates a performer who identifies as diverse and does not yet meet the eligibility criteria for the ACTRA awards for their work in a film or television/web series, went to Greg Vardy in Tracy and Martina: Dirty Deeds. The award recipient is determined by an online voting process, to better engage the wider community outside of the screen industry.

Seven-year-old Briar Mosher took home an ACTRA Maritimes Award for Outstanding Performances for her role in Leah Johnston’s short film Mother’s Skin. Phoebe Rex also won an Outstanding Performances award for playing the teenage Samantha in Jason Eisener’s sci-fi horror feature Kids vs. Aliens, which is now streaming on Shudder. 

Keeper from writer/director Tori Flemming and producer Morgan Salter was the winner of the Best Short Film Award, while season three of The Casagrandes took home the award for Best Animated Series. Produced by Jam Filled Entertainment, the comedy series airs on Nickelodeon and showcases the work of Nova Scotian animators.

This year’s Film Crew Excellence Award went to makeup artist Betty Belmore. A member of IATSE Local 849 – and a previous BAFTA award-winner – Belmore has worked in the Nova Scotia film and television industry for over 35 years and has been a mentor to many. Her Head of Department credits includes large-budget US service productions, as well as local features, TV series, and short films, including Mr. D, The Healer, Jesse Stone, and Haven.

The 2023 Community Recognition Award went to local entertainment lawyer Rob Aske, Partner at Stewart McKelvey. Rob was nominated by several producers for his work in the industry, helping both emerging and established filmmakers navigate the film business, regardless of the project budget. For over 25 years, Aske has also generously volunteered his time and expertise while working with industry organizations/associations, including his countless hours dedicated to the Screen Nova Scotia Board of Directors, since 2015.

The Screen Nova Scotia Awards were made possible this year due to the generous support of many sponsors, including Platinum Partners at  the Directors Guild of Canada, Support4Culture, the Canadian Media Producers Association, IATSE Local 849, and William F. White International Inc. Special thanks to 902 Post and The Hideout Studios for their continued work to ensure another successful event in 2023.

About Screen Nova Scotia
Screen Nova Scotia is a film commission and industry association that promotes and advocates on behalf of Nova Scotia’s screen industry. Our membership includes producers, service providers, local cast and crew, unions, and industry organizations. Screen Nova Scotia is dedicated to building a strong and sustainable future for the province’s production sector. We’re the first point of contact to find out more about locations, production partners, industry resources and infrastructure, and financial incentives.

List of award winners:

Screen Nova Scotia Awards

Best Feature Film
Queens of the Qing Dynasty (Hi-Vis Films)

Best Television Series Scripted
Vollies S2 (Canadian Content Studios)

Best Television Series – Unscripted
Living in Flow (Gorgeous Mistake Productions)

Best Documentary Film
On the Fringe (Broken Turtle Productions)

Best Short Film
Keeper (Tori Flemming, Morgan Salter)

Best Animated Series
The Casagrandes S3 (Jam Filled Entertainment) 

Outstanding Achievement in Editing
Kimberlee McTaggart 

Groundbreaking Performance
Greg Vardy

ACTRA Maritimes Awards for Outstanding Performances

Briar Mosher in Mother’s Skin

Taylor Olson in Bystanders

Phoebe Rex in Kids vs. Aliens

Marlee Sansom in Bystanders

Additional Awards

WIFT-AT Award for Best Director
Jackie Torrens (Bernie Langille Wants to Know What Happened to Bernie Langille)

Film Crew Excellence Award
Betty Belmore, Make-up Artist 

Community Recognition Award
Rob Aske, Partner, Stewart McKelvey

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Astrid & Lilly Save the World, Awards, Children Ruin Everything, Featured, Industry News, The Porter

2023 WGC Screenwriting Awards winners announced

From a media release:

In a funny, lively ceremony held this evening at Koerner Hall in Toronto, the winners of the 27th annual Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Awards were announced. The first in-person WGC Awards ceremony since 2019 (due to COVID-19 precautions), tonight’s gala brought together hundreds of Guild members, industry professionals, and fans—all in celebration of the Canadian screenwriters behind the programming and films viewers enjoy in Canada and around the world.

Some winners of 2023’s top prizes include Clement Virgo (Brother), Marsha Greene (The Porter, pictured above), Kurt Smeaton (Children Ruin Everything), Jason Sherman (My Tree), and Veronika Paz (Astrid & Lilly Save the World). Special awards were also presented to Laura Good, winner of the Sondra Kelly Award, and Adrian Morphy, who was awarded the Jim Burt Screenwriting Prize for his script The 300 Year Old Man. Susin Nielsen, creator and showrunner of Family Law, received the Showrunner Award—the prestigious final prize of the event.

The ceremony was hosted by Vance Banzo, a Saulteaux/Cree comedian, actor, writer, and member of award-winning sketch comedy troupe and series TallBoyz. Awards were presented on stage by showrunner Anthony Q. Farrell (Shelved, Run the Burbs); actress Paloma Nuñez (Shelved); actress and screenwriter Emma Campbell (The Next Step); writer/actor/producer Amanda Joy (Son of a Critch, Amelia Parker); showrunner Emily Andras (Wynonna Earp); writer and producer JP Larocque (Sort Of, JANN); actor and screenwriter Sugith Varughese (Transplant, Fraggle Rock); Amir Kahnamouee (previous WGC Jim Burt Prize winner); and screenwriter and producer Ken Craw (Heartland).

2023 WGC SCREENWRITING AWARDS WINNERS

CHILDREN’S
The Guava Juice Show, “Adventure 9000″ Written by Christine Mitchell

COMEDY SERIES
Children Ruin Everything, “Road Trips” Written by Kurt Smeaton

DOCUMENTARY
My Tree, Written by Jason Sherman

DRAMA SERIES
The Porter, “Episode 104” Written by Marsha Greene (pictured above)

FEATURE FILM
Brother, Written by Clement Virgo

MOW & MINISERIES
Written in the Stars, Written by David Elver

PRESCHOOL
Dino Ranch, “Wings Over Dino Ranch” Written by Ben Joseph & Mike D’Ascenzo

SHORTS
Second Life, Written by Darrin Rose

TWEENS & TEENS
Astrid & Lilly Save the World, “One Rib” Written by Veronika Paz

JIM BURT SCREENWRITING PRIZE
Adrian Morphy for The 300 Year Old Man

SONDRA KELLY AWARD
Laura Good

SHOWRUNNER AWARD
Susin Nielsen

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