It is our job to bring you the best in cinema from Manitoba, Canada and around-the-world! Today on Day 9, we celebrate our award winners and award sponsors, our diverse film series and their sponsors, our special events and the supporters who make them happen!
Awards:
We handed out 8 awards (with two new additions this year!)
Congratulations to all of the winners and the sponsors for presenting these awards.
Alda Award : An annual lifetime achievement award presented to a filmmaker/actor from the circumpolar regions for outstanding contributions to the art of cinema. WINNER: Guy Maddin
Jack Clements “Livin’ the Dream” Lifetime Achievement Award: An annual award in the memory of Jack Clements, presented to a Manitoban for their impact on the local film industry and filmmaking community. WINNER: Elise Swerhone
Best of Fest Award sponsored by Outlet Collection Winnipeg
WINNER: Minding the Gap, dir. Bing Liu
Audience Choice Best of Fest Award sponsored by Outlet Collection Winnipeg
WINNER: Bachman, dir. John Barnard (Farpoint Films)
Best Manitoba Director Award presented by the Directors Guild of Canada – Manitoba
WINNER: Shelagh Carter (Before Anything You Say)
Manitoba Shorts in Competition
Best Manitoba Short Film presented by Manitoba Film & Music
WINNER: Run As One – The Journey of the Front Runners, dir. Erica Daniels
Best Performance by a Female Artist presented by ACTRA Manitoba
WINNER: Samantha Cahatol (Piece of Mind, dir. Erin Hembrador)
Best Performance by a Male Artist presented by ACTRA Manitoba
WINNER: Alfonso Lora (Piece of Mind, dir. Erin Hembrador)
Film Series:
This year, we brought you eight distinct feature film series and five short film programs. Thank you to our film series sponsors for supporting these curated programs.
The Future is Female* Film Series
Sponsored by Original Pictures, Inferno Pictures, Black Watch Entertainment, Buffalo Gal Pictures, Canadian Media Producers Association, Farpoint Films, Frantic Films, Media RendezVous, and Rebecca Gibson.
DOC35 Retrospective Film Series
To celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Documentary Organization of Canada(DOC), DOC35 and DOC Manitoba presented a selection of classic and dynamic documentaries by Manitoba-based filmmakers.
Indigenous Film Series
Sponsored by Eagle Vision, Manitoba’s own Indigenous owned and operated production company!
Icelandic Film Series
Generously sponsored by Gimli Pharmasave, Icelandairand supported by the Canada Iceland Foundation, Iceland Naturally, the Icelandic Film Centreand Consulate General of Iceland Winnipeg.
LGBTTQ* Film Series
Presented with support from Reel Pride.
Northern Lights Film Series
The “Northern Lights” Circumpolar Film Series – sponsored by Gimli Pharmasave– highlighted films with an emphasis on Iceland and other circumpolar nations including Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Russia, Greenland and northern Canada, among others.
Manitoba Film Series
67 Manitoba-made films as part of the 2018 GFF.
Social Justice Film Series
Through the support of The Mauro Family Fund – The Winnipeg Foundation, a series of ground-breaking documentaries.
Short Film Series:
Manitoba Shorts In Competition sponsored by Manitoba Film & Music, ACTRA Manitoba and Johnston Group, Indigenous Filmmakers Association Short Films sponsored by the Indigenous Filmmakers Association and Eagle Vision, When You Light A Candle You Also Cast A Shadow sponsored by Johnston Group, Rinse & Repeat sponsored by Johnston Group and Blood is Thicker Than Water sponsored by Johnston Group.
Special Events:
This year, we hosted a special Saturday night event – Rock & Roll Movie Night! – featuring Shooting Guns’ live soundtrack to Nosferatu (1922)! It started with Doreen Girard & Marie-France Hollier’s expanded cinema performance Spectral Repair. Shooting Guns then took the stage to perform their live soundtrack!
Thank you to Long & McQuade and the SOCAN Foundation who presented the event!
Décor Team:
Special thanks to Lisa Martin and Carol Magnusson (Lifa Home) who transformed Johnson Hall into a spectacular beach scene for our Opening Reception and then into a world-class stage for our Rock & Roll Movie Night! Thanks to Creating A Scene for providing our awesome set pieces.