K atherine Jerkovic’s sophomore feature Coyote (Le Coyote) was among the top winners at the Whistler Film Festival (WFF) with two prizes, including the Borsos Award for Best Canadian Feature.

Billed as the second-largest festival prize in Canada, the award comes with $15,000 presented by the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC BC), British Columbia, in association with Telefilm Canada, and $20,000 in post-production services presented by Company 3.

Jerkovic (pictured middle left) directed and Nicolas Comeau of Montreal’s 1976 Productions produced the Quebec-shot Coyote, about a widower, his estranged daughter and his grandson. The jury called it “a masterfully rendered film, both tragic and hopeful, about unconditional love and sacrifice,” according to a news release.

Coyote‘s second honour at WFF on Sunday (Dec. 4) was Best Performance in a Borsos Competition Film Award for Jorge Martinez Colorado. Getting honourable mentions in that category were Viva Lee for KC Carthew’s Polaris and Lilou Roy-Lanouette for Joëlle Desjardins Paquette’s Rodeo.

Paquette also netted the Best Director of a Borsos Competition Film honour, presented by the DGC BC, for Rodeo. Landing the Best BC Director Award was Carl Bessai for Féline@6.15, with an honourable mention going to Jules Koostachin for Broken Angel.

A total of $223,500 in cash and production prizes were handed out at the 22nd edition of WFF, with others including Best Screenplay of a Borsos Competition Film, won by Guillaume Lambert for Niagara.

The World Documentary Award winner was River, directed by Jennifer Peedom, with an honourable mention going to Out in the Ring, directed by Ry Levey.

Best Cinematography in a Borsos Competition Film, presented by ICG 669, went to David Schuurman for Polaris, with an honourable mention going to Stirling Bancroft for Exile.

Winning Best Editing in a Borsos Competition Film, presented by IATSE 891, was Arthur Tarnowski for The 12 Tasks of Imelda. Mike Quigley’s Know Before You Go: To the Hills and Back was declared Best Mountain Culture Feature Film.

Several shorts were also honoured. Andrea Wing’s sports doc The Trapline was named Best Mountain Culture Short Film, presented by Whistler Blackcomb, with an honourable mention going to Snow Blind, directed by Anthony Bonello and Mike Douglas.

The Canadian ShortWork Award went to Tongue, directed by Kaho Yoshida. Warsha by Dania Bdeir won the International ShortWork Award, with an honourable mention going to Ice Merchants by João Gonzalez.

The BC Student ShortWork Award winner was Omukama, directed by Zane Klassen, and the MPPIA Short Film Pitch victor was Nessa Aref for My Roommate Ahriman, with an honourable mention going to Rosie Choo Pidcock for Sorry for Your Cost.

Jonathan Chuby won the WFF Power Pitch Competition with his project Duck Race, landing an award package that includes a $25,000 post-production credit from Company 3 and a $1,000 cash prize, plus a $10,000 lighting and grip production credit from William F. White International. Chuby also gains a spot in WFF’s 2023 Producers Lab.

Winners of the EDA Awards for Best Female-Directed Short Film and Narrative Feature, presented by the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, will be announced on Dec. 13. The Audience Award winner will be revealed on Dec. 28.

Image courtesy of WFF; L-R: John Cassini, Katherine Jerkovic, Kelly McCormack, Allan Harmon