Can I Get a Witnes?s also dominated the Best of BC film categories.

High profile Canadian productions 40 Acres, Young Werther, and Rumours are also in the running in several categories.

Two radically dissimilar movies, a post-apocalyptic drama and a coming-of-age comedy with a metaphysical slant, accumulated the most nominations for the upcoming Vancouver Film Critic Circle awards.

Ann Marie Fleming’s Can I Get a Witness? received eight mentions, while Megan Park’s My Old Ass got seven. Both movies are writer/director vehicles that will compete for the Best Canadian Film award alongside another dystopian drama, 40 Acres.

The end of the world was a source of inspiration for several of the Canadian films vying for a VFCC award, including Guy Maddin’s absurdist Rumours. The G7 all-star comedy was nominated for Best Picture and Best Male Actor (Roy Dupuis).

Last year’s multiple VFCC award winner Matt Johnson (BlackBerry) will compete this year in the Best Male Actor category for Matt and Mara. His co-star in the movie (also a previous VFCC award winner), Deragh Campbell, will vie for the Best Female Actor prize.

The Best Supporting Female Actor is shaping to be one for the ages. Emmy winner Sandra Oh,  Screen Actors Guild nominee (and VFCC award winner) Alison Pill. And SAG award winner Aubrey Plaza are all nominated in this category. 

The Best BC Film award has two documentaries facing Can I Get a Witness?, both about creators involved in uphill battles to get their work to the public: Ari’s Theme and The Chef & the Daruma.

The highly competitive One to Watch category features two actors-turned-directors (Megan Park, Mongrels’ Jerome Yoo) and a performer crushing her first lead (Can I Get a Witness?’ Keira Jang). The winner will receive a prize of $1,000, courtesy of TELEFILM-Canada.

The winner of Best BC Director category will be awarded $500, courtesy of the Directors Guild of Canada, BC District. The winner of Best BC Film will receive $500, courtesy of the Canadian Media Producers Association, BC Producers Branch.

The results will be announced on February 18^th at a ceremony to take place at the VIFF Centre in Vancouver.

These are the nominees per category:

Best Picture

Can I Get a Witness?

40 Acres

My Old Ass

Rumours

Best Director

Ann Marie Fleming, Can I Get a Witness?

Megan Park, My Old Ass

R.T. Thorne, 40 Acres

Best Screenplay

Ann Marie Fleming, Can I Get a Witness?

Megan Park, My Old Ass

Matthew Rankin, Universal Language

Best Male Actor

Roy Dupuis, Rumours

Matt Johnson, Matt and Mara

Jae-Hyun Kim, Mongrels

Best Female Actor

Deragh Campbell, Matt and Mara

Amy Forsythe, Inedia

Keira Jang, Can I Get a Witness?

Maisy Stella, My Old Ass

Best Supporting Male Actor

Patrick J. Adams, Young Werther

Kataem O’Connor, 40 Acres

Percy Hynes White, My Old Ass

Best Supporting Female Actor

Sandra Oh, Can I Get a Witness?

Alison Pill, Young Werther

Aubrey Plaza, My Old Ass

Best Canadian Documentary

Ari’s Theme

Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story

Blue Rodeo: Lost Together

The Movie Man

Sugarcane

One to Watch

Keira Jang, Can I Get a Witness?

Megan Park, My Old Ass

Jerome Yoo, Mongrels

Best BC Film

Ari’s Theme

Can I Get a Witness?

The Chief & the Daruma

Best BC Director

Liz Cairns, Inedia

Ann Marie Fleming, Can I Get a Witness?

Jerome Yoo, Mongrels

Breakdown by total of nominations:

Can I Get a Witness?: 8

My Old Ass: 7

40 Acres: 3

Mongrels: 3

Rumours: 2

Matt and Mara: 2

Inedia: 2

Young Werther: 2

Ari’s Theme: 2

Universal Language: 1

Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story: 1

Blue Rodeo: Lost Together: 1

Sugarcane: 1

The Movie Man: 1

The Chief and the Daruma: 1