Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry satirical comedy earned the best movie honor at the Canadian Screen Awards on Friday, which also tapped the Canadian Indigenous TV series Little Bird as the best TV drama.
In earlier prize-giving this week, BlackBerry picked up hardware for best adapted screenplay, cinematography and a best supporting comedy performance trophy for Glenn Howerton. The fact-based feature that bowed in Berlin also awarded Johnson the best director honor, and Jay Baruchel the best comedy performance trophy.
Little Bird, which came into the Canadian film and TV awards with a field-leading 19 nominations, saw Darla Contois pick up the best TV drama performance prize after the series earlier earned trophies for best drama ensemble, best casting and best supporting drama performer for Braeden Clarke.
Little Bird, which aired on Crave in Canada and PBS stateside, follows Behzig Little Bird, who was stripped of her Indigenous identity when adopted into a Jewish family at age 5. As an adult, she goes looking for her roots and discovers she was forcibly taken from her birth family on the Long Pine Reserve in Saskatchewan by the Canadian government as part of a controversial Sixties Scoop policy.
Other prize-giving by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television on Friday included Amrit Kaur nabbing the best movie performance trophy for her role in The Queen of My Dreams. And Sasha Leigh Henry’s Bria Mack Gets a Life was named the best TV comedy.
On Friday night, the CBC will air a shortened and pre-taped TV special hosted by Mae to celebrate trophy winners after the Canadian awards show decided against a live telecast of the final gala.
In 2012, the organization replaced separate Gemini and Genie award shows with a single event in the Canadian Screen Awards, traditionally held after the Academy Awards stateside. A full list of winners is available on the Canadian Academy website.