East Coast well-represented in noms
Maudie, the Newfoundland-shot feature film about Nova Scotia folk art icon Maude Lewis, is a top nominee for the Canadian Screen Awards.
The Canadian- Irish co- production received seven nominations, including best feature, lead actor for Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke, director for Aisling Walsh, original screenplay for Stephenville-born Sherry White, achievement in editing for Stephen O’connell, and achievement in costume design for Trysha Bakker.
The winners will be announced at various events during the Canadian Academy of Film and Television’s Canadian Screen Week celebrations in Toronto in March, leading up to the televised Canadian Screen Awards gala airing on CBC-TV at 9 p.m. on March 11.
The spirit of Maud Lewis wasn’t the only East Coast presence among the film nominations. Black Cop, the first feature film from Halifax filmmaker and actor Corey Bowles, was one of three titles listed for the John Dunning Discovery Award. The prize was created in 2017 to recognize micro- budget features made for under $250,000. Shot in Halifax in the fall of 2016, Bowles’ acclaimed film expands upon his previous short film of the same name, portraying the day in the life of a black police officer cop- ing with injustices committed against his own community by fellow officers.
In television, CBC-TV’S Halifax-based news satire series This Hour Has 22 Minutes celebrated its 25th year with five nominations. The long-running comedy was nominated for best variety or sketch comedy, best sketch comedy program or series, best direction in variety or sketch comedy ( for Mars Horodyski and Michael Lewis), best writing in variety or sketch comedy, and best performance in sketch comedy for cast members Mark Critch, Cathy Jones, Susan Kent, Shaun Majumder and Meredith Macneill.
Halifax actor Macneill was also recognized with two nominations, for comedy writing and performance, in the Toronto-shot Baroness von Sketch Show, which earned seven nominations overall.
Another CBC comedy series shot in Halifax received some acting nods, as Mr. D saw series creator and star Gerry Dee among the best lead actor, comedy nominees, with best supporting or guest actress, comedy nominations going to cast members Naomi Snieckus (Bobbi Galka) and Emma Hunter (Nisha).
Also recognized was Nova Scotia’s Jennie Raymond, for best lead actress, drama series, as a police constable handling domestic abuse cases in Thom Fitzgerald’s Sex & Violence, and the documentary Sickboy, inspired by the Halifax podcast that takes an irreverent look at a young man’s critical illness.
For more on the awards and the full list of nominations, visit www.academy.ca.