Buxton’s Blackbird wins at VIFF

The Vancouver International Film Festival, which wrapped up Friday with a gala screening of Leo Carax’s Holy Motors, has revealed this year’s big winners and crowned Jason Buxton’s Blackbird best Canadian feature.

Buxton took home a $10,000 cash prize for the win.

Meanwhile, Jesse James Miller’s Becoming Redwood earned an honourable mention for best Canadian feature, and also won the audience award for most popular Canadian film.

In the most promising director of a Canadian short film category, B.C.’s Juan Riedinger nabbed a $2,000 prize for Float, while Brian Lye, Callum Paterson and Nathan Gilliss earned honourable mentions for Peach Juice.

Elsewhere, Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt beat out the 236 other features at the festival to win the Rogers People’s Choice Award.

Nimisha Mukerji’s Blood Relative was crowned most popular Canadian documentary, while Patrick Farrelly and Kate O’Callaghan earned the most popular international documentary nod for Nuala and Rob Stewart’s Revolution was named most popular environmental film.

Rounding out the list for Canada is Manon Briand’s Liverpool, which nabbed the Women in Film and Television Merit Award.

Internationally, Barnaby Southcombe’s I, Anna won the most popular first feature award, while Li Luo took home $5,000 and the Dragons & Tigers Award for Young Cinema for Emperor Visits the Hell.

More winners are still to be announced.