September was a banner month for Gary Burns. After receiving the Toronto-City Award for best Canadian feature film ($25,000) for the digitally shot waydowntown at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, he moved straight into the limelight at the Atlantic Film Festival. There, he and producer Shirley Vercruysse took home the best Canadian feature prize.

The Toronto jury also presented an honorable mention to Denis Villeneuve’s Maelstrom, for ‘extraordinary artistic exuberance,’ and to Karen Walton for her wicked and insightful script, Ginger Snaps.

The Benson & Hedges Film People’s Choice Award went to Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Taiwan). It’s a good omen for Lee: American Beauty took home the People’s Choice at last year’s tiff and later won the Oscar for best film.

Second runner-up for the award was Rob Stich’s The Dish (Australia), while Paul Cox’s Innocence (Australia) tied with Stephen Daldry’s Billy Elliot (u.k.) for third.

The NFB John Spotton Award for best Canadian short film went to Michele Cournoyer’s Le Chapeau.

The Citytv Award for best Canadian first feature film ($15,000) was awarded to Philippe Falardeau for La Moitie Gauche du Frigo.

Over at the aff, La Veuve de Saint-Pierre, directed by Patrice Leconte and produced by Gilles Legrand and Frederic Brillion, took home the People’s Choice Award. Producer Simone Urdl and director Phillip Barker won the best Canadian short film prize for Soul Cages.

Barry Newhook, director/writer/ actor on Bingo Robbers, took home two aff prizes, one for outstanding writing in an Atlantic Canadian film (which was shared with cowriter and codirector Lois Brown) and another for outstanding performance by an actor in an Atlantic Canadian film.

Parsley Days won director/writer/ producer/dop Andrea Dorfman the Atlantic cinematography award and Parsley’s Megan Dunlop picked up the prize for best actress in an Atlantic Canada film.

The Rex Tasker Award for best documentary was given to Mathew Welsh for his film Breakaway. Welsh, who produced and directed the doc, also won the Linda Joy Most Promising New Director Award.

The best first-time director award was presented to Michael Melski for his work on Serenade, produced by Andrew MacVicar. *