Vital Signs wins Borsos

WHISTLER — Sophie Deraspe’s Les signes vitaux (Vital Signs) won the $15,000 Borsos competition for best new Canadian feature at the ninth annual Whistler Film Festival, which wrapped its four-day run on Sunday.

‘I have worked with a lot of emerging filmmakers as a producer and it takes extraordinary passion,’ said Borsos jury president Ivan Reitman upon presenting the prize. ‘Thank you for allowing us to share in your youthful energy.

He added that Les signes vitaux is a beautiful, assured film demonstrating remarkable work by a consummate filmmaker.

The film — about a young woman who returns home to deal with the aftermath of her grandmother’s death — had its English-Canadian premiere at the festival. This is the second film from the Quebec director, who wrote and shot the movie.

Les signes vitaux star Marie-Hélène Bellavance won the Borsos competition best actress award and Woody Harrelson the best actor prize for his performance in the comedy Defendor, directed by Peter Stebbings. A special jury prize was given to Jayme Keith for her role in Ryan Arnold’s Skidlove.

The $2,500 best documentary award was shared between two films: Denis Delestrac’s Canada/France coproduction Pax Americana and the Weaponization of Space, and Lixin Fan’s Canada/China coproduction Last Train Home, about a family of Chinese migrant workers.

Mount St. Elias took the $500 best mountain culture film prize. The Australia/U.S. copro is directed and produced by Gerald Salmina and follows some of the world’s greatest ski mountaineers who attempt the longest ski descent of the world in Alaska.

The $1,000 best short film award went to La vie commence (Life Begins), directed by Émile Proulx-Cloutier. Best short film pitch award was won by Kelly Ruth Mercier for Move Out Clean, the story of a guy who is cleaning up his house after a breakup and finds more than he expected. The award consists of $10,000 from the Motion Picture Production Industry Association of B.C. and $5,000 from British Columbia Film, plus in-kind production services up to $100,000 and a premiere at the festival next year.

Garbage Day, an animated comedy multi-platform project from Vancouverites Marc Stephenson, Matt Sinclair and Cam Labine won Pitch Fest West, which comes with a $2,000 prize from the National Film Board.

______________________________ You never write! Send Playback a letter — tell us what you think.