Film about transition wins top prize in Whistler Film Festival.
Whistler Film Festival Announces 2024 Award Winners
$188,500 in cash and production prizes have been presented across 15 awards in seven juried film competitions, including the Power Pitch Competition and Screen BC Short Film Award.
Whistler Film Festival (WFF) has announced the winners of its film competition awards in a ceremony held in Whistler on Sunday, Dec. 8. The top prize, the Borsos Award for Best Canadian Feature, was presented to Really Happy Someday, directed by J Steven.
The Borsos jury, comprised of Tatiana Maslany, Tantoo Cardinal, and Cory Bowes, described the film as “a voice of transition in transition,” noting that “through skillful storytelling, Really Happy Someday is an intimate journey through a loving family community that leads us to a deeper understanding and appreciation for the commitment necessary to align the body and soul, finding true peace.”
“Really Happy Someday” focuses on Z, a transmasculine singer, who faces a life-altering moment when a crucial musical theatre audition goes disastrously wrong. Nine months into testosterone treatment, Z finds his voice unexpectedly unsteady, putting both his dreams and identity at risk. Struggling to reclaim his sense of self and his artistry, Z embarks on a deeply personal journey to reconnect with his voice, passion, and purpose.
The 24th edition of WFF featured a total of 118 films: 47 features and 71 shorts. There were 27 world premieres, 20 Canadian premieres, 24 Western Canadian premieres, and 23 Whistler premieres. A total of $188,500 in cash and production prizes have been presented this year, across a total of 15 awards in seven juried film competitions, including the Power Pitch Competition and Screen BC Short Film Award. Two additional Audience Awards will be announced on December 12 for the features and shorts programs.
"As we celebrate the success of these award winners, we are reminded of the incredible talent and creativity that continues to emerge from Canada’s filmmaking community and those who are highlighted throughout the festival," said Angela Heck, executive director of WFF. "The diversity and innovation showcased in this year’s competition speaks to the strength and artistry of Canadian filmmakers, and it is a privilege to support and honour these visionary storytellers. We are proud to contribute to the growth and recognition of Canadian and international cinema, and we look forward to the continued success of these talented filmmakers in the years to come."
The prestigious Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature, named for legendary Canadian filmmaker Philip Borsos, is now in its 21st year. With a $35,000 cash and in-kind prize, it is the second-largest festival honour in the country.
“It was a great honour to share with our audiences an amazing collection of 14 diverse and provocative features participating in the competition this year,” said Robin Smith, director of film programming for WFF. “Each film exemplified unique and important artistry that covered a multitude of perspectives and genres and I wish to congratulate all of the filmmakers in this year’s competition. I would also love to thank our jury for the professionalism and dedication they brought to our festival as part of this process. We were truly blessed to have them as part of our festival family this year.”
WFF 2024 Award Winners At-A-Glance
FILM AWARDS
Borsos Award for Best Canadian Feature Film: Really Happy Someday, directed by J Steven
Best Direction of a Borsos Competition Film (sponsored by Directors Guild of Canada, BC): Phoenixes, directed by Jonathan Beaulieu-Cyr
Best Screenplay of a Borsos Competition Film: Really Happy Someday, J Stevens and Breton Lalama
Best Performance in a Borsos Competition Film: Who Do I Belong To, Salha Nasraoui
*Honourable Mention for Performance in a Borsos Competition Film: Aberdeen, Gaul Maurice
Best Cinematography in a Borsos Competition Film (presented by ICG 669): Phoenixes, Ariane Falardeau St-Amour
Best Editing in a Borsos Competition Film: Who Do I Belong To, Maryam Goober and Maxime Mathis
World Documentary Award: Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted, directed by Isaac Gale, Ryan Olson, and David McMurry
Best Mountain Culture Short Film (sponsored by Whistler Blackcomb): Barefoot Pilot directed by Leo Hoorn and Steve Henderson
Best Mountain Culture Feature Film (sponsored by Whistler Blackcomb): Maya And The Wave, directed by Stephanie Johnes
Best BC Director Award (sponsored by DGC-BC): Resident Orca, directed by Simon Schneider and Sarah Sharkey Pearce
Canadian ShortWork Award: Hello Stranger by Amélie Hardy
International ShortWork Award: For Sale by Stephen George
BC Student ShortWork Award (presented by Capilano University): Body Varial by Audrey Kerridge
EDA Award for Best Female Directed Short: Have I Swallowed Your Dreams by Clara Chan
EDA Award for Best Female Directed Feature (presented by the Alliance of Women Film Journalists): Bob Trevino Likes It, directed by Tracie Laymon
Audience Awards to be announced on December 12.
TALENT PROGRAM AWARDS
Northern Star Award (presented by UBCP/ACTRA): Morgan Taylor Campbell
Power Pitch Competition: Milton Ng, New Diamond Restaurant by Milton Ng
Screen BC Short Film Pitch: Adverse Possession by Norman Yi Li
Two pitch competitions also took place during WFF. Power Pitch, one of Canada’s foremost film competitions, is an intensive pitch training workshop and competition for Canadian producers with feature-length projects (scripted or documentary) in development. Milton Ng took home $36,000 in cash and prizing for his project New Diamond Restaurant. The Power Pitch prize package includes a $25,000 post-production credit from Company 3/Method, a $10,000 lighting and grip production credit, and a $1,000 cash prize from Sunbelt Rentals.
Established this year, the Northern Star Award is an evolution of WFF’s former Stars To Watch program, continuing the tradition of celebrating Canadian talent by offering an immersive multi-day festival experience, as well as promotion and professional development. The inaugural award was presented to Queen Of The Underworld star Morgan Taylor Campbell by UBCP/ACTRA president Keith Martin Gordey in recognition of an outstanding performance in a Whistler Film Festival feature or short film.
All five candidates for this year’s Screen BC Short Film Award delivered strong pitches. The project that truly stood out was Norman Yi Li’s horror comedy Adverse Possession, which not-so-subtly delivers an absurd solution to the universal housing crisis.
“Norman’s pitch was grounded in a well-developed script, team, and visual package that we expect will result in an entertaining ride that just might help us forget about housing problems for 10 minutes,” said Kristyn Stilling, a short film pitch producer for Screen BC. “We look forward to seeing this film at the 2025 Whistler Film Festival.”
WFF shares net online film ticket proceeds with the filmmakers and Canadian rights holders to support our artists. Discover more at whistlerfilmfestival.com.
The Whistler Film Festival gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada through Telefilm Canada, the Province of British Columbia and the Resort Municipality of Whistler. We gratefully acknowledge our major festival sponsors, Creative BC, Directors Guild of Canada - British Columbia, Tourism Whistler, RBC, Sunbelt Rentals, Warner Bros. Discovery Access Canada, and Whistler Blackcomb.
