The Accountant of Auschwitz, nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up, A Day in the Life of Earth and Disasters at Sea were among the winners who walked away with top prizes from the first of four nights honouring the best in Canadian film, television, and digital media production at the 2020 Canadian Screen Awards (CSA).

Narrated by filmmaker and CSA nominee Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, the pre-taped presentation recognizing the stream’s nominees and announcing winners was live-streamed on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The show featured footage from the nominated artists unable to gather for the usual Canadian Screen Week activities in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver in March as a result of the COVID-19 related lockdown. In total, 144 categories will be feted in ceremonies “drawing inspiration from documentary films, podcasts, and music videos.”

The night saw four prizes awarded to TLNT Productions and Good Soup Productions’ The Account of Auschwitz (CBC/The documentary Channel) – Best History Documentary Program or Series; Best Original Music, Non-Fiction for Ken Myhr; and the Barbara Sears Award for Best Visual Research and Best Editorial Research for Ricki Gurwitz.

Meanwhile, filmmaker Tasha Hubbard’s nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up (pictured) picked up the coveted Ted Rogers Best Feature Length Documentary award. The 2019 Hot Docs Opening Night Presentation won against Invisible Essence: The Little Prince, Prey, If You Could Read My Mind and Alexandre Le Fou in the category.

The Rob Stewart Award for Best Science of Nature Documentary Program or Series went to A Day in the Life of Earth (CBC) from Yap Films, while Bountiful Films’ To the Worlds (CBC) was presented with Best Documentary Program and Exploration Production’s Disasters at Sea (Bell Media) swam away with Best Factual Series.

Oya Media Group’s Mr. Jane and Finch (CBC), Clique Pictures’ Engraved on a Nation: On the Line (Bell Media/TSN) and Secret Path 2’s Finding the Secret Path (CBC) also each claimed two prizes from the online awards.

Mr. Jane and Finch earned the Donald Brittain Award for Best Social/Political Documentary Program as well as Best Writing, Documentary for Alison Duke and Ngardy Conteh George. Meanwhile, Engraved on a Nation: On the Line walked away with Best Direction, Documentary Series for Juliet Lammers and Lorraine Price and Best Picture Editing, Documentary for Pauline Decroix. Finally, Finding the Secret Path from director Mike Downie was awarded with Best Direction, Documentary Program and Best Biography or Arts Documentary Program or Series.

Felix & Paul Studios also nabbed Best Immersive Experience – Non-Fiction for Traveling While Black (Felix & Paul Studios/Traveling while Black Inc.) and Best Immersive Experience – Fiction for Gymnasia (Felix & Paul Studios/ the National Film Board of Canada).

Redcloud Studios’ Jennifer Podemski was also honoured with Best Direction, Factual for her work on Future History (APTN) episode “Awaken/Goshkoziwin,” while Johnny Harris, Fraser Young, Steve Dylan and Graham Chittenden won best writing in the factual category for the Still Standing (CBC) episode “Churchill.”

Others honoured include: Sophie Leblond, Pedro Pires and Sylvia de Angelis for Best Editing in a Feature Length Documentary for Alexandre Le Fou; Pedro Ruiz for Best Cinematography in a Feature Length Documentary for Havana, from on high; Maya Bankovic and Ann Tipper for their work on In the Making‘s “Rebecca Belmore,” which won Best Photography, Documentary or Factual; Remarkable Rabbits Inc.’s Remarkable Rabbits (CBC), which won Best Sound, Non-Fiction; Aileen McBride, who scored Best Picture Editing, Factual for The Fifth Estate‘s “Murder in the Jungle”; and Andrew Moir for Take Me to Prom, Best Short Documentary winner.

Finally, CBC Arts was honoured with Best Production, Interactive for Super Queeroes and Best Web Program or Series, Non-Fiction for Canada’s a Drag.

Watch the remaining awards:

Tuesday, May 26

7:00 PM EST: Canadian Screen Awards for Children’s & Youth Programming, presented by Shaw Rocket Fund

7:30 PM EST: Canadian Screen Awards for Lifestyle and Reality

Wednesday, May 27

7:00 PM EST: Canadian Screen Awards for Crafts in Scripted Programs

8:00 PM EST: Canadian Screen Awards for Scripted Programs & Performance

Thursday, May 28

7:00 PM EST: Canadian Screen Awards for Cinematic Arts

Image of nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up courtesy of the NFB