Director Clement Virgo poses for a portrait in Toronto, Friday, Sept. 9, 2022, as he promotes the film "Brother" at the Toronto International Film Festival. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
TORONTO – Canadian film stars gathered in person for the first time in four years at a Canadian Screen Awards gala Thursday evening, where Clement Virgo’s “Brother” was in the lead with 14 nominations.
Virgo’s coming-of-age feature about two Jamaican-Canadian brothers was up for awards including best direction, best motion picture, and best-adapted Screenplay.
The veteran filmmaker said he rushed to the awards ceremony after a day of working on a Netflix series called “The Madness” and was looking forward to celebrating with his cast and crew.
“I ran – I ran from set, had a quick shower at a gym up the street, and ran down here,” he said on the red carpet before the show.
Virgo said he was grateful for the honours and for the experience of working in Scarborough, an east-end Toronto neighbourhood, where the film is set.
“As a filmmaker, as a writer, as an artist, hopefully (you) inspire the next generation of filmmakers … to tell a story about their own community about their own personal lives.”
“Brother,” which is based on a 2017 novel by David Chariandy, has received critical acclaim for its powerful performances and portrayal of issues facing young Black men in the city.
“What I say all the time is that representation is extremely important,” said Aaron Pierre, who was up for best performance in a supporting role, portraying the dynamic older sibling.
“It’s so fulfilling and so very intimate, to be celebrated on such a stage. I think it’s very encouraging for stories like this, to be made, and to be told.”
Other top nominees included Stéphane Lafleur’s sci-fi comedy “Viking,” which had 13 nominations. David Cronenberg’s body horror “Crimes of the Future” has 11.
Earlier Thursday, Entertainment Tonight Canada won three digital Screen Awards: “ET Canada Live” took home statuettes for best host for a web program or series and best live production for social media, while “ET Canada Pride” won best web program or series, non-fiction.
In the fiction category, best web program or series went to “Revenge of the Black Best Friend,” for which Oluniké Adeliyi also won best lead performance for a web program or series.
Meanwhile, Sarah Northway’s “I Was a Teenage Exocolonist” won best video game.
A week of live events celebrating Canada’s media and entertainment industry wraps up Friday evening with a gala recognizing television drama and comedies.
The leading television nominee is the CBC/BET Plus historical drama “The Porter” with 19 nominations.
The public broadcaster’s millennial comedy “Sort Of” received 15 nominations, followed by buddy-cop comedy “Pretty Hard Cases” with 11.
Highlights of the various awards shows will be broadcast Sunday in an hour-long special hosted by Samantha Bee on CBC and CBC Gem.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 13, 2023.
