THE VANCOUVER FILM CRITICS CIRCLE NAME THE BODY REMEMBERS WHEN THE WORLD BROKE OPEN BEST CANADIAN AND BEST B.C. FILM

VANCOUVER, B.C. (January 7, 2020) – Kathleen Hepburn and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers’ The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open has been named Best Canadian Film by the Vancouver Film Critics Circle.

Hepburn and Tailfeathers’ film led the awards, taking home three prizes, including Best Director of a Canadian Film, Best B.C. Film, and Best Canadian Film. The Best BC Film award included two $500 cash prizes, one for the film’s producers from the Canadian Media Producers Association – BC Producers Branch and another for the directors provided by the Directors Guild of Canada – BC Council.

Best Actor, Female in a Canadian Film went to Deragh Campbell for Anne at 13,000ft while Matt Johnson won Best Supporting Actor, Male in a Canadian Film for his work in the same film. The Union of BC Performers/ACTRA sponsored a $500 cash prize for the Best Actor, Female prize.

Matthew Rankin (The Twentieth Century) was named One to Watch, which recognizes an emerging Canadian filmmaker. The One to Watch award comes with a $500 cash prize courtesy of Telefilm Canada. The Twentieth Century’s other award came in the Best Actor, Male in a Canadian Film category, where Dan Beirne won the award. 

Calvin Thomas and Yonah Lewis were awarded Best Canadian Screenplay for White Lie while Amber Anderson won Best Supporting Actor, Female for her work in the same film. 

Tasha Hubbard’s nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up was named Best Canadian Documentary while Baljit Sangra’s Because We Are Girls received an Honourable Mention in that same category.

The Vancouver Film Critics Circle also recognized NFB producer Selwyn Jacob’s decades of contributions to the Vancouver film community by naming him the recipients of the Ian Caddell Award of Achievement, named in honour of the VFCC’s late co-founder.

Best Canadian Film

The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open

Best Actor, Male in a Canadian Film

Dan Beirne, The Twentieth Century

Best Actor, Female in a Canadian Film

Deragh Campbell, Anne at 13,000ft

($500 cash prize sponsored by UBCP/ACTRA)

Best Supporting Actor, Male in a Canadian Film

Matt Johnson, Anne at 13,000ft

Best Supporting Actor, Female in a Canadian Film

Amber Anderson, White Lie

Best Screenplay for a Canadian Film

Yonah Lewis and Calvin Thomas, White Lie

Best Director of a Canadian Film

Kathleen Hepburn and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open 

Best Canadian Documentary

nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up

Best Canadian Documentary (Honourable Mention)

Because We Are Girls

One to Watch

Matthew Rankin, The Twentieth Century

($500 cash prize sponsored by Telefilm Canada.)

Best British Columbia Film

The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open

($500 cash prize sponsored by the Canadian Media Production Association-BC Producers’ Branch for the film’s producers. $500 cash prize sponsored by the Directors Guild of Canada-BC District Council for the film’s director.)