Actors Ronnie Rowe (left), Jr. as Zeke and Aml Ameen (second right) as Junior and other cast members are shown in a scene from "The Porter." THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Shauna Townley/CBC **MANDATORY CREDIT**
TORONTO – Canadian series “The Porter” has landed two nominations at the Film Independent Spirit Awards.
The CBC and BET co-production is up for best new scripted series, while one of its stars, British actor Aml Ameen, received a best lead performance nomination.
“The Porter” focuses on the lives of a group of Canadian and American railway workers in the 1920s who come together to form North America’s first Black union.
The Spirit Awards announced its list of television nominees Tuesday after unveiling contenders for its film categories last month.
Among the TV contenders is “The Rehearsal,” created and executive produced by Vancouver-raised comedian Nathan Fielder, which is up for best new non-scripted or documentary series.
“Station Eleven,” which filmed in parts of Ontario, is competing alongside “The Porter” for best new scripted series. The show is based on the dystopian novel by Canadian author Emily St. John Mandel.
The 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards ceremony is set to take place March 4 in Santa Monica, Calif.
The show’s organizer Film Independent, a U.S. non-profit that supports independent storytelling, introduced TV categories with its 2021 awards presentation.
Previously announced film nominees include Sarah Polley’s “Women Talking,” which is competing for the screenplay and best director awards, and has already received the Robert Altman award for its ensemble.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2022.
