SCREEN SUCCESS
Schitt’s Creek leads CSA nominations as female directors gain ground
They may not have the glitz of the Oscars or even the Golden Globes. But while the Canadian Screen Awards may lack some of that Hollywood glamour, at least they can proudly boast greater representation for women.
In a year that had several standout films from women directors, the Academy Awards nominated not a one.
For the CSAS, by contrast, which combine film, television and digital media, 40 per cent of all nominated directors are women. And 45 per cent of all nominated writers are women.
The CBC hit series Schitt’s Creek leads both TV and overall CSA nominations with 26 in total, including best comedy series, best comedy writing and best comedy direction, as well as multiple acting nominations for comedy, including best actor and supporting actor and best actress and supporting actress. For TV series, CBC’S Anne with an E ranks second with 17 nominations and CTV’S Cardinal ranks third with 14.
Leading the film categories, François Girard’s The Song of Names received nine nominations in total, including for art direction/production design, costume design and visual effects.
The CSAS announced nominees in 141 categories — 25 in film, 103 in television, 12 in digital and one special category for first feature film. Nominating juries and members of the Canadian Academy selected the nominees, with Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta chairing the film jury alongside representatives from production, acting, and media industries. The membership will place their votes until March 6 to determine the winners.
The various awards — including several other special awards and the Cogeco fans’ choice award — will be presented in Toronto over five days during Canadian Screen Week, culminating in the CSA broadcast gala event, which will air live on CBC and the CBC Gem streaming service on March 29.