Tsilhqot’in Canadian filmmaker Trevor Mack’s feature Portraits From a Fire, the documentary series British Columbia: An Untold History and the TV movie A Clüsterfünke Christmas were the big winners at the Leo Awards, which also saw Global’s Family Law win best dramatic series and CBC’s Strays from Thunderbird Entertainment nab best music, comedy or variety program or series.

The winners were announced at a gala event in Vancouver over the weekend. The annual awards program is run by the Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Foundation of British Columbia to celebrate the province’s film and television sector.

Portraits From a Fire won five trophies, including best motion picture and best direction for Mack (pictured), who also produced alongside Rylan Friday and Kate Kroll. Mack co-wrote the story of an Indigenous teenage boy, which also took honours for cinematography for Kaayla Wachell, picture editing for Elad Tzadok, and musical score for Conan Karpinski and Andrew Dixon.

British Columbia: An Untold History from Screen Siren Pictures, which aired on Knowledge Network, also took five awards, including best documentary series for producers Trish Dolman and Leena Minifie. Its other wins were for direction and screenwriting by Kevin Eastwood, picture editing by Eddie O. and Tanya Maryniak, and sound by Velcrow Ripper, J. Martin Taylor, Ramsay Bourquin, Kaitlyn Redcrow and Brent Calkin.

Another five-time winner was Comedy Central’s A Clüsterfünke Christmas (Lighthouse Pictures Productions), which streamed on Crave and won best television movie as well as honours for cinematography, musical score, production design and a supporting performance by Nils Hognestad.

Projects that took four awards apiece included the short The Blactor, written, directed and produced by Vancouver’s Rukiya Bernard, and Netflix’s Scaredy Cats (Air Bud Entertainment). The Blactor‘s wins included best short drama, while Scaredy Cats’ honours included best youth or children’s program or series.

Family Law (SEVEN24 Films, Lark Productions) won two other awards — for lead performance by Jewel Staite and screenwriting by Susin Nielsen.

Other projects nabbing three awards apiece included Canadian filmmaker Agam Darshi’s feature Donkeyhead (Karma Film), which won for screenwriting and a lead performance by Darshi, as well as a lead performance by Stephen Lobo; and Toronto-based Elizabeth Lazebnik’s feature Be Still (Ceroma Films), which was honoured for production design by Sophie Jarvis, costume design by Stephanie Ostler and a supporting performance by Meredith Hama-Brown.

Also netting three awards: the TV movie Honey Girls (Build a Bear Entertainment) for best picture editing (Charles Robichaud), costume design (Barbara Gregusova) and choreography (Paul Becker, Tori Caro, Mark Samuels); and Fatima in Kabul, written, directed by produced by Afghan-Canadian filmmaker Brishkay Ahmed, which took best short documentary, picture editing and sound.

Best direction in a dramatic series went to Gary Hawes for ABC/Sony Pictures’ The Good Doctor, which airs on CTV, while Brian Markinson won a lead actor trophy for APTN’s Tribal (Prairie Dog Film + Television).

The best feature-length documentary winner was Dead Man’s Switch: A Crypto Mystery, produced by Sheona McDonald and Betsy Carson, which also won an award for Daniel Ross’s musical score. Other big doc wins included a directing nod for Vancouver-based Cassie De Colling for Precious Leader Woman (Kiddo) and a screenwriting win for Trish Neufeld and Marlene Rodgers on Knowledge Network’s Dancing With Mom.

History’s Rust Valley Restorers (Corus Studios/Mayhem Entertainment) won best information, lifestyle or reality series.

Other top honours in the comedy category included best direction for Shannon Kohli on Universal Studios’ Resident Alien, which aired on CTV Sci-Fi Channel, and best performance by Andrea Bang on CBC’s Kim’s Convenience (Thunderbird Entertainment).

In the motion picture category, other big winners included Eric McCormack for supporting actor in Stephen Campanelli’s Drinkwater (Suitcase Charlie Films).

Best animation program went to the Canadian short Back Home Again, produced by Charmaine Hammond and Michael Mankowski, which also won a screenwriting nod for Mankowski.

The full list of winners is on the Leos website.

Photo courtesy of Trevor Mack