'Mommy' Leads Canuck Nominations from Vancouver and Toronto Film Critics

Antoine Olivier-Pilon, Anne Dorval, and Xavier Dolan on the set of Mommy.
Photo: Shane Laverdière, courtesy Les Films Séville.

The Vancouver Film Critics Circle, the only group of film critics recognizing Canadian film on all fronts, have released their nominees for the annual awards honouring the best in Canadian film.

Xavier Dolan’s Mommy deservedly leads the pack with six nominations and it nets shout-outs in every category in which it was a legitimate contender, while Enemy, Tu Dors Nicole, and Violent all come on strong. The latter film contends for Best B.C. film along with Julia Kwan’s NFB doc Everything Will Be, which, like all three of the Best Canadian Film nominees, recently made this blog’s annual list of the top ten Canadian films of the year. (Note: I haven’t seen Violent yet, since it didn’t play TIFF.) Notably absent from the VFCC Canuck kudos is David Cronenberg’s Maps to the Stars, especially Julianne Moore’s bonkers lead performance, plus the performances from Miraculum, although Anne Dorval is nominated for Mommy, anyways. Bruce Greenwood’s nomination in the supporting category is another head-scratcher since he appears in virtually every scene of Elephant Song, but it’s a strong and nomination-worthy performance regardless. Mommy actually leads the VFCC nominations overall, although it failed to make the group’s top category for Best Film. That prize sees a run-off from Boyhood, Whiplash and Birdman, which leads the non-Canadian contingent. Winners will be announced on Jan. 5.

Best Canadian Film
Enemy
Mommy
Tu dors Nicole

Best British Columbia Film
Everything Will Be – Julia Kwan
Preggoland – Jacob Tierney
Violent -  Andrew Huculiak

Best Director of a Canadian Film
Xavier Dolan, Mommy
Stéphane Lafleur, Tu dors Nicole
Denis Villeneuve, Enemy

                                                  

Best Actor in a Canadian Film
Jake Gyllenhaal, Enemy
Maxwell McCabe-Lokos, The Husband
Antoine-Olivier Pilon, Mommy

Best Actress in a Canadian Film
Julianne Côté, Tu dors Nicole
Anne Dorval, Mommy
Dagny Backer Johnsen, Violent

Best Supporting Actor in a Canadian Film
Bruce Greenwood, Elephant Song
Marc-André Grondin, Tu dors Nicole
Callum Keith Rennie, Sitting on the Edge of Marlene

Best Supporting Actress in a Canadian Film                
Sarah Allen, The Husband
Suzanne Clément, Mommy

Sarah Gadon, Enemy

Best Screenplay for a Canadian Film
Xavier Dolan, Mommy
Andrew Huculiak, Josh Huculiak, Cayne McKenzie & Joseph Schweers, Violent
Elan Mastai, The F Word

Best Canadian Documentary
Everything Will Be – Julia Kwan
Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story – Grant Baldwin
The Price We Pay – Harold Crooks

Best First Film by a Canadian Director
Sitting on the Edge of Marlene – Ana Valine
The Valley Below – Kyle Thomas
Violent – Andrew Huculiak

Source: InContention

In other Canadian film awards news, the Toronto Film Critics Association unveiled the nominees for their prize for the Rogers Award for Best Canadian Film last week, which carries a cash prize of $100 000. The nominees are Mommy, Enemy, and The F Word. The TFCA awkwardly went into the awards amidst charges of sexism and racism led by member Nathalie Atkinson, which were then awkwardly (and perhaps unprofessionally) retweeted from the TFCA’s own official Twitter account and made for an uncomfortable waiting period (and presumably deliberation), but, like the VFCC, they chose some strong films and emerged friendly. Winners will be announced on Jan. 6.