Toronto film critics give awards to veteran Norman Jewison, novice Matt Johnson

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Norman Jewison, a Canadian-born Hollywood director for more than six decades, was awarded the Technicolor Clyde Gilmour Award by the Toronto Film Critics Association on Tuesday night for his contributions to Canadian cinema.

As well as directing films from In the Heat of the Night to Moonstruck, which have earned 45 Academy Award nominations, Jewison, 87, is the founder of the 25-year-old Canadian Film Centre, which has more than 1,500 alumni working in the film and television industries. The TFCA prize allows him to donate $50,000 in services to a filmmaker of his choosing.

At the other end of the spectrum, the critics group selected novice director Matt Johnson – director, co-writer and star of the school shooting mockumentary The Dirties – to win the Scotiabank Jay Scott Award for best emerging artist. The $5,000 award is named after the late Globe and Mail critic who died 20 years ago at the age of 43.

"Our critics were impressed by the dark wit, innovative style and startling gravitas of The Dirties," said TFCA president Brian D. Johnson, film critic for Maclean's. "Matt Johnson shows an impressive talent both behind and in front of the camera."

The Toronto Film Critics Association is a group of more than 40 film and broadcast film journalists, founded in 1997, that last year began handing out the richest film prize in the country, the $100,000 Rogers Best Canadian Film Award. The 2013 award will be presented on Jan. 7 at an awards dinner at the Carlu by last year's winner, actor and filmmaker Sarah Polley. At the same time, the winner of the $5,000 Manulife Financial Student Film Award will be presented to the winning short film selected from Toronto area film schools.

In addition to other prizes, the TFCA will announce the $5,000 2013 BMO Allan King Documentary Award on Tuesday, December 17, 2013 along with the three finalists for the Best Canadian Film Award.