A distinctly Winnipeg film leads this year’s Canadian Screen Award nominees.
Winnipeg director Matthew Rankin’s “Universal Language” leads the pack on the film side with 13 nominations, including best motion picture and achievement in direction.
Its Prairie representation goes beyond the director’s chair. Set somewhere between Tehran and Winnipeg, the docu-fantasia takes a surrealist journey of Winnipeg “monuments,” with stops at Portage Place, a local Tim Hortons, and streets lined with a Rod Peeler bus bench ad.
The film made appearances at the Cannes and Toronto film festivals before being shortlisted for an Oscar as Canada’s pick for best international feature film.
That wasn’t the only Manitoba representation in this year’s crop of nominations, announced by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television on Wednesday.
“Rumours” garnered four nods, including for its Academy Award-winning star Cate Blanchett, who is up for performance in a leading role -comedy.
That Cannes-appearing flick was directed by a trio of Manitobans—Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, and Galen Johnson.
“Wilfred Buck” earned a nomination for best feature-length documentary. It tells the story of a Cree elder whose northern Manitoba community is forcibly relocated. One of its producers, Alicia Smith, is originally from Winnipeg.
Manitobans also earned nominations on the television side—Lisa Codrington for her work in the ensemble of “Children Ruin Everything” and Jamie Brown and Amber Sekowan-Daniels for the comedy series “Don’t Even.”
Winnipeg actress Amy Groening was also nominated in the best lead performer – TV movie category for her role in the Hallmark movie “‘Twas the Date Before Christmas.” The movie itself was nominated in the Best TV Movie category.
The awards are set to be handed out June 1.
The full list of nominees can be read on the academy’s website.
