The dramatic comedy BlackBerry made a splash at the Canadian Screen Awards ceremony, collecting 14 awards including best film.
After winning 11 statuettes in the cinema section of the awards ceremony on Thursday, the film by Toronto director Matt Johnson crowned its success by winning three additional awards during the televised ceremony, broadcast Friday evening.
In addition to being crowned best film, BlackBerry walked away with the awards for best direction and best performance in a leading role – awarded to Montreal actor Jay Baruchel.
Released in theaters a year ago, BlackBerry tells the story behind the meteoric rise – and brutal fall – of the founders of Canadian company Research in Motion (RIM), the inventors of the BlackBerry smartphone.
Denis Villeneuve honored
George Pimentel Photography
Friday evening’s ceremony was also marked by the presentation of a special prize to Denis Villeneuve. Building on the success of his science fiction film Dune: Part Tworeleased earlier this year, the Quebec filmmaker received the Icon Award from the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, an honor intended to highlight his “exceptional contribution” to the audiovisual industry.
Remember that the Canadian Screen Awards recognize the best in cinema and television in Canada.
During Thursday’s ceremony, Quebec actress Chantal Thuy won the award for best performance in a supporting role for her performance in the film Ru, adapted from the novel of the same title by Kim Thuy. Director Ariane Louis-Seize and screenwriter Christine Doyon walked away with the prize for best original screenplay for their comedy Humanist vampire seeking consenting suicide.
