#FIRSTLOOK: 2023 TORONTO FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION NAME “THE ZONE OF INTEREST” BEST PICTURE

The Toronto Film Critics Association have named their 2023 winners, led by THE ZONE OF INTEREST which was named Best Picture. The Awards are now in their 27th year.

The Awards Gala will be held early 2024 where winners of two prizes will be named: Rogers Best Canadian Film and Rogers Best Canadian Documentary. Each award is worth $50,000. Blackberry, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person and SOLO for Best Canadian Film, and Rojek, Someone Lives Here and Swan Song for Best Canadian Documentary. The two runners up in each category will receive $5,000.

Winners are as follows:

Best Film
Winner: ​The Zone Of Interest
Runners-Up: All of Us Strangers & Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Director
Winner: ​Jonathan Glazer – The Zone Of Interest
Runners-Up: Martin Scorsese – Killers of the Flower Moon & Justine Triet – Anatomy Of A Fall

Best Original Screenplay
Winner: Barbie
Runners-Up: Anatomy Of A Fall & Past Lives

Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner: ​Killers of the Flower Moon
Runners-Up: All of Us Strangers & Poor Things

Best Lead Performance
Winners: ​Sandra Hüller – Anatomy Of A Fall & Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon
Runners-Up: Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers, Andrew Scott – All of Us Strangers, Emma Stone – Poor Things & Kôji Yakusho – Perfect Days

Best First Feature
Winner: ​Rye Lane
Runners-Up: American Fiction & Past Lives

Allan King Best Documentary
Winner: 20 Days in Mariupol
Runners-Up: The Eternal Memory, Four Daughters & Swan Song

Best Foreign Language Film
Winner: ​Fallen Leaves
Runners-Up: Anatomy Of A Fall & The Zone Of Interest

Best Animated Feature
Winner: Robot Dreams
Runners-Up: The Boy and the Heron & Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse

Best Supporting Performance
Winner: Ryan Gosling – Barbie & Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers
Runners-Up: Robert De Niro – Killers of the Flower Moon, Robert Downey, Jr. – Oppenheimer, Glenn Howerton – BlackBerry & Charles Melton – May December

Best Breakthrough Performance
Winner: Teyana Taylor – A Thousand And One
Runners-Up: Charles Melton – May December & Dominic Sessa – The Holdovers

Best Performance In A Canadian Film
Winner: Glenn Howerton – BlackBerry
Runners-Up: Jay Baruchel – BlackBerry & Théodore Pellerin – Solo

#TFCAS: “RICEBOY SLEEPS” WINS ROGERS BEST CANADIAN FILM AWARD AT TFCAS

Riceboy Sleeps, Anthony Shim’s semi-autobiographical film about a Korean single mother who moves to Canada to raise her son, has won the Toronto Film Critics Association’s 2022 Rogers Best Canadian Film Award.

Veteran actor and Indigenous activist Tantoo Cardinal (Dances with Wolves, Three Pines, North of 60) presented the award — the richest annual film prize in Canada — to director Shim. One of the film’s lead actors, Ethan Hwang, accepted the award on his behalf at a gala dinner held March 6, 2023, at the Omni King Edward Hotel in Toronto.

Shot in the Vancouver area and in South Korea, Riceboy Sleeps premiered at both TIFF and the Busan International Film Festival. Its delicate examination of the stresses of growing up between two cultures has been widely praised. Riceboy Sleeps was included in TIFF’s 2022 Canada’s Top Ten.

As runners-up, directors Clement Virgo (Brother) and David Cronenberg (Crimes of the Future) each received $5,000 from Rogers Communications.

Hosted by actress Amanda Brugel (The Handmaid’s Tale, Infinity Pool), the ceremony featured a cocktail party sponsored by Universal Pictures Canada, a dinner sponsored by Netflix and an after-party sponsored by Prime Video.

“All three nominated films this year are terrific, and we congratulate all three filmmakers,” TFCA President, Johanna Schneller said. “But Anthony Shim’s film shimmers with delicacy, empathy and authenticity. Though it’s only his second feature, it’s made with such self-assurance, and he elicits an indelible performance from his lead, Choi Seung-yoon. We can’t wait to see what he does next.”

“Movies like Riceboy Sleeps are the reason the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award exists,” said Rogers’ Robin Mirsky, Executive Director, Rogers Group of Funds. “Films reflect who we are, and Anthony Shim’s story resonates with so many Canadian immigrant families. It’s a testament to the idea that the more specific a story is, the more universal it feels.”

At the gala, Brugel introduced video acceptance speeches from director Charlotte Wells (Best Picture, Best Director and Best First Feature, Aftersun), Paul Mescal (Best Actor, Aftersun), Ke Huy Quan (Best Supporting Actor, Everything Everywhere All at Once), filmmaker Laura Poitras (Allan King Documentary Award winner for All the Beauty and the Bloodshed), and Domee Shi (Best Animated Feature, Turning Red).

Comedian and TV personality Rick Mercer presented the $10,000 Stella Artois Jay Scott Prize for an emerging artist to filmmaker Carol Nguyen. Nguyen’s short films, which are drawn from her life and Vietnamese-Canadian culture, have played at more than 80 film festivals.

In its mission to recognize new voices in film criticism, the TFCA gave Michelle Krasovitski the fourth annual Telefilm Canada Emerging Critic Award, presented by actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Never Have I Ever, Turning Red). Krasovitski is a daughter of Soviet-era Ukrainian immigrants who taught her to appreciate a culture of uncensored film. The award comes with a prize of $1,000.

On the red carpet, entertainment journalist and Super Channel content producer Teri Hart welcomed eminent members of the film industry and the civic and cultural communities, including longtime TIFF programmer Steve Gravestock, recipient of this year’s Company 3 Luminary Award. That award comes with a pay-it-forward grant of $50,000 in production services to a filmmaker of the recipient’s choice. Gravestock chose producer/actor Hugh Gibson (The Stairs) and writer/director Frieda Luk (The Encounter). TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey and Company 3 VP and GM James Fraser presented the award to the recently retired Gravestock.

Other notables in attendance included Brother actors Lamar Johnson and Kiana Madeira, Riceboy Sleeps actor Ethan Hwang, Robbie Amell of the CW series The Tomorrow People, photographer and filmmaker Caitlin Cronenberg, Crimes of the Future executive producer Aida Tannyan, author Tamara Faith Berger, TIFF COO Beth Janson, Canadian Film Centre CEO Maxine Bailey, Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television CEO Tammy Frick, Zoomer Magazine editor Suzanne Boyd, and Cineplex Entertainment President/CEO Ellis Jacob.

#FIRSTLOOK: TFCA ANNOUNCE ADDITONAL 2023 AWARD WINNERS

The Toronto Film Critics Association is pleased to announce its recipients in the Company 3 Luminary Award, the Stella Artois Jay Scott Prize and the Telefilm Canada Emerging Critic Award.

Veteran Toronto International Film Festival programmer Steve Gravestock is the recipient of this year’s Company 3 Luminary Award. The TFCA thanks Company 3 for enabling the Luminary Award recipient to give $50,000 in services to a filmmaker of the honouree’s choosing. Gravestock will announce his designate in the days to come.

During his 25 years with TIFF, Gravestock has created a legacy of discovery where he introduced films like Denis Villeneuve’s Incendies and Philippe Falardeau’s Monsieur Lazhar, which went on to score Oscar nominations. His choices represented Canada on the world stage, as he continued to present the best new talent each year. Gravestock has shaped our appreciation of Canadian film through TIFF’s Canada’s Top Ten and he will be remembered for hosting colourful post-screening panel discussions that introduced audiences to our best storytellers.

A believer in “We the North” long before the Raptors, Gravestock was also the programmer of Nordic film, picking Academy Award nominees like Petter Næss’s Elling, Mikael Håfström’s Evil, Susanne Bier’s In a Better World and Joachim Trier’s The Worst Person In The World.

The Company 3 Luminary Award recognizes a Canadian industry figure who has made a substantial and outstanding contribution to the advancement and/or history of Canadian cinema. This includes, but is not limited to, writers, directors, producers, distributors, actors, academics, cinematographers and technicians. Those who can viably be seen as forwarding Canadian cinema and culture through their work are eligible. In the spirit of the pay-it-forward nature of the honour, the recipient names an emerging filmmaker to receive $50,000 in services from Company 3.

Carol Nguyen wins the Stella Artois Jay Scott Prize for an emerging artist, which carries a $10,000 purse, courtesy of Labatt. By age 20, the Vietnamese-Canadian was already turning heads worldwide with acclaimed short films drawn from her life. Her short documentaries Every Grain of Rice and No Crying at the Dinner Table and the drama Nanitic have been showcased at more than 80 film festivals, including TIFF, where the latter won the IMDBpro Short Cuts Share Her Journey Award.

As well, the TFCA announced its Telefilm Canada Emerging Critic award for aspiring film reviewers. Michelle Krasovitski was born to parents who left the Soviet Ukraine and shared their hunger for uncensored film experiences with her in their new country. Currently working on a master’s thesis in film, she has covered TIFF, Hot Docs and the Sundance film festivals for various publications. The Telefilm Canada Emerging Critic award comes with a cash prize of $1,000, courtesy of Telefilm Canada.

The Toronto Film Critics Association will announce the coveted Rogers Best Canadian Film Award, by far Canada’s richest film prize at $100,000, with $5,000 going to each of the two runners-up. The winner will be announced at the 26th Annual TFCA Awards Gala, held at The Omni King Edward Hotel Toronto on Monday, March 6, 2023.

The TFCA is extremely grateful to founding sponsor Rogers Communications for the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award, to returning sponsors Labatt for the Stella Artois Jay Scott Prize for an emerging artist, to Netflix as the Dinner sponsor, to Air Canada as Official Airline and to Company 3 as the Luminary Award sponsor. The TFCA welcomes new sponsors Universal Pictures Canada as the Cocktail Reception sponsor, Prime Video as the After-Party sponsor, Telefilm Canada as the Emerging Critic sponsor and Pinnacle Live as the Official AV Sponsor. The TFCA also thanks sponsors Cineplex Entertainment, Omni King Edward Hotel and salutes stalwart supporters, G.H. Mumm Champagne, L’Eat Catering, Zoomer Magazine, Chairman Mills and The Printing House.

Website: www.torontofilmcritics.com
Twitter: @tfca

#TFCA: CHARLOTTE WELLS’ “AFTERSUN” WINS BEST PICTURE AT 2022 TFCA AWARDS

The Toronto Film Critics Association met today to determine winners of the 26th annual TFCA Awards. The Awards, to be held March 6, 2023 at the OMNI King Edward Hotel will see a winner named for the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award. Up for the $100k prize are Clement Virgo’s Brother, David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future and Anthony Shim’s Riceboy Sleeps. Runners-Up will each receive $5,000.

Leading the winners this year is Charlotte Wells’ AFTERSUN, the semi-autobiographical Drama follows an 11 year-old girl’s recollections of a trip to a Turkish resort with her troubled father for his 31st birthday, following her parents’ separation. The Film is Wells’ first Feature, impressively seeing her sweep Best Picture, Director and Best First Feature. Star Paul Mescal also won Best Actor.

The full list of 26th annual TFCA Awards winners and runners-up below:

Best Picture

Aftersun (Sphere Films)
 
Runners-up: Everything Everywhere All at Once (Elevation Pictures), Women Talking (Universal Picture Canada)

Best Director

Charlotte Wells – Aftersun (Sphere Films)

Runners-up: Daniels, Everything Everywhere All at Once (Elevation Pictures); Sarah Polley, Women Talking (Universal Pictures Canada)

Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted

The Banshees of Inisherin – Martin McDonagh (Searchlight Pictures)

Runners-up: Todd Field, Tár (Universal Pictures Canada); Sarah Polley, Women Talking (Universal Picturs Canada)

Best Actress

Cate Blanchett in Tár (Universal Pictures Canada)

Runners-up: Danielle Deadwyler in Till ((Universal Pictures Canada; Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All at Once (Elevation Pictures)

Best Actor

Paul Mescal in Aftersun (Sphere Films)

Runners-up: Colin Farrell in The Banshees of Inisherin (Searchlight Pictures); Brendan Fraser in The Whale (Elevation Pictures)

Best Supporting Actress

Keke Palmer in Nope (Universal Pictures Canada)

Runners-up: Jessie Buckley in Women Talking (Universal Pictures Canada); Stephanie Hsu in Everything Everywhere All at Once (Elevation Pictures)

Best Supporting Actor

Ke Huy Quan in Everything Everywhere All at Once (Elevation Pictures)

Runners-up: Brendan Gleeson in The Banshees of Inisherin (Searchlight Pictures); Barry Keoghan in The Banshees of Inisherin (Searchlight Pictures)

Best Animated Feature

Turning Red, directed by Domee Shi (Walt Disney Pictures Canada)

Runners-up: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Netflix); Marcel the Shell with Shoes on (Elevation Pictures)

Allan King Documentary Award

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, directed by Laura Poitras (Elevation Pictures)

Runners-up: Fire of Love (Mongrel Media); Moonage Daydream (Elevation Pictures)

Best International Feature

Saint Omer, directed by Alice Diop (Films We Like)

Runners-up: Decision to Leave (Mongrel Media); EO (Films We Like)

Best First Feature

Aftersun, directed by Charlotte Wells (Sphere Films)

Runners-up: Marcel the Shell with Shoes on (Elevation Pictures); Turning Red (Walt Disney Pictures Canada)

Rogers Best Canadian Feature Award Nominees

Brother, directed by Clement Virgo (Elevation Pictures)
Crimes of the Future, directed by David Cronenberg (Sphere Films)
Riceboy Sleeps, directed by Anthony Shim (Game Theory Films)

Special Citation
To Iranian filmmakers Jafar Panahi, Mohammad Rasoulof and Mostafa Al-Ahmad, who are currently in jail in Ira yet continue to make subtle movies that talk about life in their country, in spite of threats and restrictions from the regime. We stand in solidarity with them and add our voices to the international arts community calling for their release.

(Photo credit: Sphere Films)

#TFCA: “DRIVE MY CAR” NAMED BEST FILM OF 2021 BY TORONTO FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION

The Toronto Film Critics Association have announced their 2021 Award Winners today. Winning top honours of Best Film is DRIVE MY CAR, a Japanese Drama written and directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi. The Film is Japan’s official entry at the upcoming Academy Awards.

Runners-up were LICORICE PIZZA and THE POWER OF THE DOG.

The Rogers Best Canadian Film Award will award one winner $100,000 from Rogers Communications Inc., with two runners-up each receiving $5,000. Finalists in this category are Beans, directed by Tracey Deer; Night Raiders, directed by Danis Goulet; Scarborough, directed by Shasha Nakhai and Rich Williamson. The winner will be announced at their upcoming (date TBD) Awards Gala.

List of winners below:

Best Film

DRIVE MY CAR

Runners-up: LICORICE PIZZA

THE POWER OF THE DOG

Best Director

Jane Campion (THE POWER OF THE DOG)

Runners-up: Hamaguchi Ryusuke (DRIVE MY CAR)

Denis Villeneuve (DUNE)

Best Actress

Olivia Colman (THE LOST DAUGHTER)

Runners-up: Penelope Cruz (PARALLEL MOTHERS)

Kristen Stewart (SPENCER)

Best Actor

Denzel Washington (THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH)

Runners-up: Benedict Cumberbatch (THE POWER OF THE DOG)

Andrew Garfield (TICK, TICK…BOOM!)

Best Supporting Actress

Jessie Buckley (THE LOST DAUGHTER)

Runners-up: Kirsten Dunst (THE POWER OF THE DOG)

Ruth Negga (PASSING)

Best Supporting Actor

Bradley Cooper (LICORICE PIZZA)

Runners-up: Ciaran Hinds (BELFAST)

Kodi Smit-McPhee (THE POWER OF THE DOG)

Best Screenplay

DRIVE MY CAR

Runners-up: LICORICE PIZZA

THE POWER OF THE DOG

Best Animated Feature

FLEE

Runners-up: ENCANTO

THE MITCHELLS VS THE MACHINES

Best Documentary

SUMMER OF SOUL (…OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)

Runners-up: FLEE

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND

Best Foreign Language Film

DRIVE MY CAR

Runners-up: PETITE MAMAN

THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD

Best First Feature

THE LOST DAUGHTER

Runners-up: PASSING

PIG

SHIVA BABY

More to come here.

#TFCA: “NOMADLAND” AND “ANNE AT 13,000 FT” AWARDED TOP PRIZES BY THE TORONTO FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION

NOMADLAND continues its early Awards Season dominance, being named Best Picture today by the Toronto Film Critics Association. In addition to being named People’s Choice Award winner at TIFF ’20, the Film by Chloé Zhao has been a winner among Critic Circles around the continent, scoring in San Diego, Chicago, Boston, New York, Los Angeles and more. It also won the Golden Lion in Venice, and was named Best Feature at the Gotham Awards.

The TFCA Gala took place this evening virtually with a livestream on YouTube, hosted by Elaine “Lainey” Lui and Kathleen Newman-Bremang and winners giving their speeches on video.

The evening’s biggest prize, the $100k Rogers Best Canadian Film Award was awarded to ANNE AT 13,000 FT directed by Kazik Radwanski. Radwanski stated “It’s meant so much for the Film to still have a life, to connect, and be written about. It’s a huge honour coming from the TFCA.”.

Other winners include:

Best Picture: NOMADLAND

Best Director: Chloé Zhao, NOMADLAND
Runners-up, Best Director: Kelly Reichardt – FIRST COW; Lee Isaac Chung – MINARI

Best Screenplay: MINARI
Runners-up, Best Screenplay: NOMADLAND, SOUND OF METAL

Best Actor: Riz Ahmed, SOUND OF METAL
Runners-up for Best Actor: Chadwick Boseman, MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM; Mads Mikkelsen, ANOTHER ROUND

Best Actress: Frances McDormand, NOMADLAND
Runners-up, Best Actress: Viola Davis, MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM; Sidney Flanigan, NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS

Best Supporting Actor: Daniel Kaluuya – Judas and the Black Messiah
Runners-up, Best Actor: Paul Raci, Sound of Metal; Leslie Odom, Jr. One Night in Miami

Best Supporting Actress: Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Runners-up, Best Supporting Actress: Yuh-jung Youn, Minari; Olivia Colman, The Father

Best First Feature: THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION
Runners-up, Best First Feature: THE FATHER, PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN

Best Animated Feature: WOLFWALKERS
Runners-up, Best Animated Feature: SOUL and THE WILLOUGHBYS

Allan King Documentary Award: COLLECTIVE
Runners-up: CRIP CAMP, DAVID BYRNE’S AMERICAN UTOPIA and TIME

Best Foreign Language Film: BACURAU
Runners-up, Best Foreign Language Film: ANOTHER ROUND, BEANPOLE

Cineplex Emerging Critic Award: Mark Hanson (In the Seats) and Rose-Coloured Ray-Bans

Clyde Gilmour Award: Jason Ryle

Jay Scott Prize for Emerging Artist: Kelly Fyffe-Marshall

$100k Rogers Best Canadian Film Award Finalists: AND THE BIRDS RAINED DOWN, ANNE AT 13,000 FT and WHITE LIE

Visit the TFCA website for more details.

(Photo credit: Searchlight Pictures)

#TFCAs: “THE BODY REMEMBERS WHEN THE WORLD BROKE OPEN” WINS TOP HONOURS AT 2020 TFCA AWARDS

It was a great honour, courtesy of Hollywood Suite, to celebrate the Toronto Film Critics’ Association Awards tonight. The Awards Gala taking place for the first time ever at the historic Omni King Edward Hotel, brought together Toronto’s tight-knit group of industry insiders, honouring the Association’s best selections in Cinema this past year. Guests dined on a sumptuous meal from the renowned establishment which has hosted the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, The Beatles, Helen Mirren and several more.

 

Host Cameron Bailey of TIFF, began the evening paying tribute to those who lost their lives in yesterday’s Boeing 737 plane crash in Iran, 138 who were Toronto-bound. The audience paused for a moment of silence. Bailey asked the audience, “Who will tell their stories, who will speak?”.

While several winners and runners-up were unveiled back in December, much anticipation was built around the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award, a $100,000 prize going to a Canadian Filmmaker as a testament to the organization’s commitment to nurturing homegrown talent. Literary icon Margaret Atwood was on-hand to present the Award.

Finalists were:

The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open directed by Kathleen Hepburn and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers (levelFilm)
Antigone directed by Sophie Deraspe (Maison 4:3)
Firecrackers directed by Jasmin Mozaffari (levelFilm)

The Award was won by The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, co-directed by the Vancouver Duo of Kathleen Hepburn and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers. Tailfeathers tells the audience, “The rate of indigenous women being murdered (seven times as great as non-indigenous women)  isn’t changing and the Film is about two women who live with that reality every day. Despite that, they find love and strength.”. She adds, “The beautiful reviews we received from Critics, particularly female Critics,  made the audience want to come see the Film. Canadians care about the Story and the Film.”.

 

Other winners announced previously:

BEST PICTURE
Parasite (MK2)
Runners-up:
The Irishman (Netflix)
Marriage Story (Netflix)

BEST ACTOR
Adam Driver, Marriage Story (Netflix)
Runners-up:
Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems (Netflix)
Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory (Mongrel Media)

BEST ACTRESS
Lupita Nyong’o, Us (Universal)
Runners-up:
Renée Zellweger, Judy (eOne)
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story (Netflix)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Sony)
Runners-up:
Willem Dafoe, The Lighthouse (VVS Films)
Joe Pesci, The Irishman (Netflix)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Laura Dern, Marriage Story (Netflix)
Runners-up:
Florence Pugh, Little Women (Sony)
Julia Fox, Uncut Gems (Netflix)

BEST DIRECTOR
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite (MK2)
Runners-up:
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman (Netflix)
Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story (Netflix)

BEST SCREENPLAY, ADAPTED OR ORIGINAL
The Irishman by Steven Zaillian from the book by Charles Brandt (Netflix)
Runners-up:
Parasite by Bong Joon-ho (MK2)
Marriage Story by Noah Baumbach (Netflix)

BEST FIRST FEATURE
Booksmart directed by Olivia Wilde (eOne)
Runners-up:
Atlantics directed by Mati Diop (Netflix)
Queen & Slim directed by Melina Matsoukas (eOne)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Missing Link (Laika)
Runners-up:
Toy Story 4 (Disney/Pixar)
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (Universal)
Frozen 2 (Disney)

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
Parasite (MK2)
Runners-up:
Pain and Glory (Mongrel Media)
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (MK2)

ALLAN KING DOCUMENTARY FILM AWARD
American Factory (Netflix)
Runners-up:
Apollo 11 (Elevation Pictures)
The Cave (Mongrel Media)

 

See some Snaps from the night:

 

Kathleen Hepburn x Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Co-Directors – The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open

 

Chris Butler, Director – Missing Link

 

Margaret Atwood, Presenter

 

Cameron Bailey, Host

 

Amanda Brugel, Presenter

 

Lina Rodriguez, Recipient of $50,000 grant from Techniolor Clyde Gilmour Award recipient Michèle Maheux

 

Deragh Campbell with the $10,000 Stella Artois Jay Scott Prize for an Emerging Artist

 

Victor Stiff, RBC TFCA Emerging Critic Award Winner

 

Team Touchwood PR including: Shima Madjpour, Betty Dang, Chelsea Cabello, Keira Hunt, Lauren DeRush, Alma Parvizian, Hayley Graham, Judy Lung, Susan Smythe-Bishop, Andréa Grau x Jennifer Rashwan

 

Team Taro PR (Tamar Gibbert, Brianna Hurley x Robyn Mogil) with Critic Bonnie Laufer Krebs

 

Team Warner Bros. Canada (Akasha Di Tomasso, Tracy McGowan x Anna Perelman)

 

Carrie Wolfe, Kate Parkes (Elevation Pictures) x Claire Peace-McConnell (VVS Films)

 

Natalie Petozzi (eOne Films) x Cat Simmonds (Elevation Pictures)

 

Team Allied Integrated (Trista Tsuke, Matthew Celestial x Shane Jackpaul)

 

Team Disney (Katya Kwiatkowski, Charlotte Cuttle)

 

Sofia Piwosz, Film Critic Radheyan Simonpillai x Victoria Gormley (Rock-it Promotions)

 

Jen Mcneely (She Does the City) x Jen Kirsch (Freelance Writer- Toronto Star, Hello Canada)

 

David Voigt (In the Seats)

 

Hollywood Suite’s Alicia Fletcher, Cameron Maitland x Julie Kumaria

 

Hollywood Suite’s Ellen Baine x Julie Kumaria

 

Hollywood Suite’s David Kines x Photographer George Pimentel

 

Ally La Mere (Route 504 PR)

 

Awards Season culminates in the Academy Awards, which take place Sunday, February 9, 2020, airing 8 PM ET on ABC. Nominees will be unveiled Monday, January 13, 2020.

 

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

#FIRSTLOOK: TFCA ANNOUNCE 2019 WINNERS + FINALISTS

The Critics have spoken! Every year we look forward to what our friends at the Toronto Film Critics Association have deemed their 2019 Best-ofs and today, several of their selections including Best Picture have been decided. Top honours goes to Bong Joon-Ho‘s brilliant PARASITE taking both Best Picture, Director and Foreign-Language Film. The quirky, genre-bending Thriller placed runner-up for Screenplay.

For the first time ever, all three Finalists for Best First Feature are films by female Filmmakers.

See additional winners and Finalists for the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award, a $100,000 prize below.

 

BEST PICTURE
Parasite (MK2)
Runners-up
The Irishman (Netflix)
Marriage Story (Netflix)

BEST ACTOR
Adam Driver, Marriage Story (Netflix)
Runners-up
Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems (Netflix)
Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory (Mongrel Media)

BEST ACTRESS
Lupita Nyong’o, Us (Universal)
Runners-up
Renée Zellweger, Judy (eOne)
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story (Netflix)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Sony)
Runners-up
Willem Dafoe, The Lighthouse (VVS Films)
Joe Pesci, The Irishman (Netflix)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Laura Dern, Marriage Story (Netflix)
Runners-up
Florence Pugh, Little Women (Sony)
Julia Fox, Uncut Gems (Netflix)

BEST DIRECTOR
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite (MK2)
Runners-up
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman (Netflix)
Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story (Netflix)

BEST SCREENPLAY, ADAPTED OR ORIGINAL
The Irishman by Steven Zaillian from the book by Charles Brandt (Netflix)
Runners-up
Parasite by Bong Joon-ho (MK2)
Marriage Story by Noah Baumbach (Netflix)

BEST FIRST FEATURE
Booksmart directed by Olivia Wilde (eOne)
Runners-up
Atlantics directed by Mati Diop (Netflix)
Queen & Slim directed by Melina Matsoukas (eOne)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Missing Link (Laika)
Runners-up
Toy Story 4 (Disney/Pixar)
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (Universal)
Frozen 2 (Disney)

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
Parasite (MK2)
Runners-up
Pain and Glory (Mongrel Media)
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (MK2)

ALLAN KING DOCUMENTARY FILM AWARD
American Factory (Netflix)
Runners-up
Apollo 11 (Elevation Pictures)
The Cave (Mongrel Media)

ROGERS BEST CANADIAN FILM AWARD FINALISTS
The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open directed by Kathleen Hepburn and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers (levelFilm)
Antigone directed by Sophie Deraspe (Maison 4:3)
Firecrackers directed by Jasmin Mozaffari (levelFilm)

 

Additional winners to be announced January 8, 2020.

 

(Photo credit: MK2)

#TFCA: “ROMA” AND “ANTHROPOCENE” TAKE TOP HONOURS AT THE 2018 TORONTO FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARDS

As Awards Season kicks into high gear, the 2018 Toronto Film Critics Association Awards were held tonight, honouring the year’s best in Cinema as decided by that esteemed Association. Taking place at the Four Seasons Hotel, the site of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association‘s InStyle Magazine Bash at TIFF, Film Critics and industry celebrated what was a stellar year both critically and commercially in Film, seeing a record $11.8 billion grossed at the Box Office in North America last year.

Honoured tonight were the best in Canadian and International Cinema with previous winner Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier’s ANTHROPOCENE: THE HUMAN EPOCH winning the Association’s Rogers Best Canadian Film Award. Given a hefty prize of $100k, the Duo decided spontaneously to split the money with runners-up MAISON DU BONHEUR Director Sofia Bohdanowicz and AVA Director Sadaf Forough, whom also received $5,000 from Rogers Communications.

Other winners announced tonight include Director Molly McGlynn who won the $10,000 Stella Artois Jay Scott Prize for an Emerging Artist for her debut, MARY GOES ROUND which premiered at TIFF ’18 to raves.

Native Canadian Trailblazer Tantoo Cardinal also was awarded the $50,000 Technicolor Clyde Gilmour Award for her achievements in Canadian Cinema, presented by fellow First Nations Actress Tanaya Beatty (The Twilight Saga). Cardinal chose to donate the funds to First Nations Filmmaker Darlene Naponse, who directed FALLS AROUND HER in which Cardinal stars.

Director Morgan Neville was given the $5,000 RBC Allan King Documentary Film Award for Mr. Rogers Pic, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?.

Genevieve Citron was named recipient of the inaugural TFCA Emerging Critic Award, a $1,000 prize.

Announced earlier were double Golden Globe-winning ROMA for Best Picture and Best Director (Alfonso Cuarón), plus Ethan Hawke for Best Actor in First Reformed and Olivia Colman for Best Actress in The Favourite. Regina King won Best Supporting Actress for her work in If Beale Street Could Talk, doubling-up with her Golden Globes success this past weekend and Steve Yeun won Best Supporting Actor for his work in Best Foreign-Language Film winner, BURNING.

More winners here.

TIFF Creative Director Cameron Bailey filled hosting duties this year and Presenters included Don McKellar, Traci Melchor, Rick Mercer and more.

It was our first time ever attending the TFCA Awards, courtesy of our friends at Hollywood Suite and GAB Communications, and we are so honoured to celebrated with our peers and idols.

 

See some Snaps:

 

Alfonso Cuarón

 

Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier

 

Tantoo Cardinal

 

Darlene Naponse

 

Rick Mercer

 

Don McKellar

 

Cameron Bailey

 

Molly McGlynn

 

Genevieve Citron

 

Traci Melchor

 

Richard Crouse

 

George Pimentel

 

Some faces of the TFCA including President Peter Howell and Vice President/Secretary Johanna Schneller

 

Our hardworking friends in the Film industry get a night out!

 

Our friends at GAB Communications and Hollywood Suite:

 

All photos taken on the NIKON D3400.

 

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

#SPOTTED: BRIA VINAITE IN TORONTO FOR 2017 TORONTO FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARDS

After Director Sean Baker discovered her on Instagram, life has changed forever for Cannabis Entrepreneur-turned-Actress Bria Vinaite. The 24-year-old hailing from New York City walked into her role in acclaimed The Florida Project with no acting experience and in three weeks transformed into tough-talking, hustling single mom Halley, in a performance that won’t soon be forgotten.

While she was just in the City TIFF ’17 promoting her first ever Film with Willem Dafoe and brilliant child actor Brooklynn Prince, she is back to represent the cast and crew of The Florida Project, accepting the Toronto Film Critics Association Awards for Best Picture and Supporting Actor (Dafoe). TIFF’s Cameron Bailey filled hosting duties, quoting many noted female voices in the wake of #TimesUp.

Dressed in a colourful coat and graphic bodysuit by Discount Universe, Vinaite was every bit the colourful personality she exudes online in her Social Media. And she was super gracious to stop for a quick Snap!

Other big winners included: Jordan Peele (Best Screenplay, Adapted or Original, and Best First Feature, Get Out), Daniel Day-Lewis (Lead Actor, Phantom Thread), Frances McDormand (Lead Actress, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Greta Gerwig (Director, Lady Bird) and Laurie Metcalf (Supporting Actress, Lady Bird). Angelina Jolie-produced The Breadwinner won Best Animated Feature with stars Soma Chhaya and Saara Chaudry accepting.

Complete list here.

 

The Rogers $100k Best Canadian Film Award went to Ashley McKenzie‘s Werewolf.

 

See some Snaps of Vinaite:

 

 

Elevation Pictures release THE FLORIDA PROJECT, now in theatres.

 

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong/Elevation Pictures)