Vancouver filmmaker Sophie Jarvis’ feature debut Until Branches Bend has won the $10,000 Best BC Film Award at the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF).

Jarvis wrote and directed the Canada-Swiss coproduction (pictured), which is produced by Vancouver-based Experimental Forest Films, Ceroma Films and Reign Films, in partnership with Switzerland’s Cinédokké Films. Photon Films is the Canadian distributor.

The psychological drama, about a cannery worker who discovers an invasive insect inside a peach in British Columbia’s Okanagan region, made its hometown premiere at VIFF after debuting at last month’s Toronto International Film Festival.

The Klabona Keepers received a special mention in the Best BC Film category. The film is directed by Tamo Campos and Jasper Snow-Rosen, and outlines the Tahltan Nation’s struggle to protect the Klabona Sacred Headwaters from commercial mining in northwest B.C.

The Klabona Keepers screenwriters are Campos and Snow-Rosen, along with Bertha Louie, Rita Louie, Rhoda Quock (who also produced) and Mary Quock.

Another VIFF winner at this year’s festival is director-cinematographer-editor Jacquelyn Mills for Geographies of Solitude, which took the $15,000 Best Canadian Documentary prize. The feature-length look at naturalist/researcher Zoe Lucas and her work on Nova Scotia’s Sable Island is produced by Brad Mills, and has already won awards at Hot Docs and the Berlin Film Festival.

Taking the $2,000 Best Canadian Short Film prize was Baba by Meran Ismailsoy and Anya Chirkova.

The 41st VIFF runs through Sunday (Oct. 9).