Toronto Film Critics Association Gala, Toronto
A “controlled shit show” was how the 18th-annual Toronto Film Critics Association gala, held at The Carlu event space on Jan. 6, was described to me at one point. I had to agree: There were more F-bombs dropped and references to male anatomy made than this gala regular has ever encountered over a two-hour sit-down dinner.
But it was all in good fun, revealing just how close the Canadian film community is. Even more reflective of the tight-knit bond among Canuck moviemakers is the acknowledgment and support of gen-next film pros. To my left, for example, was Eui Yong Zong, who Tony winner Bob Martin presented with the Manulife Student Film Award for his short film Leftover, about a North Korean family adjusting to life in Canada. Across from me, meanwhile, sat Albert Shin, winner of the Scotiabank Jay Scott Prize for his debut feature In Her Place, which follows three South Korean women entwined in an illegal adoption.
Filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal and photographer Edward Burtynsky presented the Joe Fresh Allan King Documentary Award to San Francisco-based director Jesse Moss for his film The Overnighters, recently shortlisted for an Oscar in the Best Documentary Feature category. TIFF director and CEO Piers Handling won the Technicolor Clyde Gilmour Award, a $50,000 prize with a pay-it-forward twist: The award was given to Randall Okita, the filmmaker of Handling’s choosing.
Deepa Mehta took to the podium (no F-bombs for this award-winning director/screenwriter/producer!) to present the evening’s big award, the $100,000 Rogers Best Canadian Film Award, which is the richest annual film prize in Canada; it went to French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve for his film Enemy, starring Jake Gyllenhaal. This was the third time Villeneuve has won the big prize; during his acceptance speech, the overwhelmed auteur declared, in a how-Canadian-is-that way, that he would split the grand sum with his fellow nominees, Xavier Dolan (Mommy) and Michael Dowse (The F Word).
Also in attendance were TIFF artistic director and gala host Cameron Bailey, TFCA president Brian Johnson, The Master’s Katie Boland, The F Word’s Tommie-Amber Pirie, Enemy’s Sarah Gadon, Cineplex Media president Salah Bachir, CBC exec Heather Conway and Vicki Heyman, wife of U.S. Ambassador Bruce A. Heyman.
Prospero Pictures president Martin Katz with director and screenwriter Patricia Rozema. (Photos By George Pimentel)
TIFF artistic director and gala host Cameron Bailey.
From left, TIFF director and CEO Piers Handling and Randall Okita.
From left, winning filmmakers Rodrigo Michelangeli and Eui Yong Zong.
From left, TFCA president Brian D. Johnson, winner Albert Shin and Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television CEO Helga Stephenson.
From left, Rogers vice-chair Phil Lind, filmmaker Deepa Mehta and winning director Denis Villeneuve.
From left, photographer Edward Burtynsky with winner Jesse Moss and filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal.
From left, actors Katie Boland, Sarah Gadon and Tommie-Amber Pirie.