In an echo of final 12 months’s duel record-breaking performance by dramas The Porter and Brother, each BlackBerry and Little Bird shattered information on the ultimate night time of the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards.
But whereas these first two titles each grew to become the most ever awarded on the CSAs final 12 months with 12 wins apiece, there was one clear winner on Friday. BlackBerry, the cellphone company-centred drama helmed by Toronto’s Matt Johnson, took dwelling three wins: with achievement in path going to Johnson, efficiency in a comedy main function to Jay Baruchel, and the movie taking dwelling the highest prize of finest movement image.
BlackBerry had already collected 11 trophies at a gala final night time that handed out the majority of the movie prizes, nabbing finest tailored screenplay, finest cinematography and finest supporting comedy performer for U.S. actor Glenn Howerton.
Its mixed whole of 14 is above another movie or TV present in the awards’ history — a kind of extremely lauded validation of what trade insiders have known as a much needed commercialization of Canada’s flagging cinema trade.
Limited sequence Little Bird and dramedy Sort Of obtained 19 and 18 nominations, respectively, dominating their fields of drama and comedy. Final gala ceremony to be broadcast on CBC on May 31
“I think there is an ideology in this country that you can’t make the things that you want, and that it’s not possible to stay in Canada. I want to tell you that it’s all in your head,” Johnson mentioned whereas accepting the very best image award.
“This country’s having a renaissance, we have role models again, and if you stick with it, Canada will have a voice in cinema again. It won’t be us. This movie was a joke. But it will be you.”
But earlier than BlackBerry‘s trio of awards have been handed out, Little Bird — the Jennifer Podemski, Hannah Moscovitch co-created sequence about an Indigenous girl impacted by the Sixties Scoop — briefly held that very same title.
After coming into the day’s bash having already gained 11 trophies, it added two extra wins on Friday. It gained each of the classes it was eligible for, with finest lead performer in a drama sequence going to Darla Contois and finest drama sequence touchdown in its creators’ laps.
That whole haul of 13 wins makes it the highest-awarded TV present in CSA history, although it wasn’t the one sequence to see some love.
Bria Mack Gets a Life gained its sole award, although it was an enormous one — finest comedy sequence. The Crave-hosted coming-of-age story centred round a Black Canadian girl prevailed in a hotly contested class: Crave’s Letterkenny, CTV’s Shelved, CBC sequence Son of a Critch and sitcom Workin’ Moms‘ ultimate season have been all up for the award.
Son of a Critch did seize some gold in the top, taking dwelling the Cogeco fund viewers selection award. And on the fact tv aspect, Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs. The World capped a powerful efficiency. After profitable six classes on Thursday, it added finest actuality/competitors program or sequence to its record of accolades.
Canadian cinema in ‘disaster mode’
But regardless of the glitz and glam, the awards themselves come at a tough time for the leisure trade.
The present’s host, Toronto comic Mae Martin, took a second to jest concerning the trade’s troubled state.
During their opening monologue, Martin mentioned a number of associates had despatched them an “encouraging” article in the lead-up to the present with the headline, “Can the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards save a film and television industry in crisis mode?”
Amid skits together with a short I’m Just Ken-rendition that the non-binary comic jokingly re-titled “I’m just them,” and a large worm costume they donned in honour of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, Martin joked that they have been prepared to spice up Canada’s display screen trade with their comedic prowess.
“I think tonight we’re going to do it!” mentioned Martin. “It’s a lot of pressure on my mild jokes, but I think we can do it.”
How profitable they have been from an viewers perspective remains to be up for debate: Traditionally, the bash has been broadcast reside to dwelling viewers, however this 12 months’s version aired as a one-hour present consisting of taped tributes and highlights from the two-hour gala.
It follows an analogous setup final 12 months that was broadly criticized — together with by actor Eugene Levy — for that includes segments taped in New York nicely forward of the present.
Throughout the night time, there have been tongue-in-cheek jokes about whether or not anybody was actually bothering to observe.
When presenting finest lead efficiency in a comedy, Johnson facetiously greeted “the millions of people watching at home,” to normal laughter and a proof that they “got asked to pad the numbers a little bit.”
Actors, filmmakers provide impassioned speeches
But there have been additionally nonetheless impassioned phrases from winners and nominees.
As Markham, Ont.-born actor Amrit Kaur accepted the award for finest lead efficiency in a drama for her function in The Queen of My Dreams, she gave a speech calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas warfare.
“To be an artist, it is my job to feel and to empathize. And for those of you who are telling us artists not to speak up in fear of losing jobs, in fear of losing careers, in fear of losing reputation, you are telling us not to be artists,” Kaur mentioned on Friday. “I refuse to sacrifice and live in the hatred of humanity.”
Speaking at a purple carpet forward of the present, Alexandra Billings — nominated for her efficiency in Queen Tut — mentioned she was significantly appreciative of the nomination, but in addition the celebration in normal. She mentioned the CSAs allowed house for transgender actors like her, and different marginalized voices, to search out help.
“We need to continue to tell our own stories,” she mentioned. “This kind of thing celebrates that. Not just about the awards, but everyone in one room, that’s community. And that’s the foundation.”
Villeneuve implores Canadians to guard tradition
In a considerably shocking displaying, Quebec’s Denis Villeneuve made an look to simply accept the Academy Icon award for his “exceptional, ongoing contribution to the media industry.”
The veteran filmmaker accepted the award onstage, the place he gave a speech imploring Canadians to guard their tradition and new voices in cinema, as “culture is what truly defines a country” and “the first thing that fascism attacks.”
Ahead of the awards, he spoke to CBC News about his appreciation for the CSAs — and the Canadian cinema trade as an entire.
“The amount of freedom I had here allowed me to experiment. It allowed me to fail, to make mistakes, it allowed me to grow up,” he mentioned.
“The system here allowed me to find my voice. That voice helped me to work abroad, and that’s why it’s a fantastic place to be a filmmaker in Canada.”