WIFF is committed to celebrating excellence in Canadian film by honouring Canadian films and filmmakers with an annual cash prize of $25,000. An independent jury comprised of film industry experts selects the winner. The Korean-Canadian film RICEBOY SLEEPS, directed by Anthony Shim was the recipient of the 2022 prize.
2023 Nominees
Blackberry (Matt Johnson)
The Dishwasher (Francis Leclerc)
Frontiers (Guy Édoin)
Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (Ariane Louis-Seize)
Irena’s Vow (Louise Archambault)
My Mother’s Men (Anik Jean)
The Nature of Love (Monia Chokri)
One Summer (Louise Archambault)
Seven Veils (Atom Egoyan)
Solo (Sophie Dupuis)
Jury Panel
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PAST NOMINEES
WINNER – RICEBOY SLEEPS
2022 nOMINEES
BROTHER , directed by Clement Virgo
ETERNAL SPRING , directed by Jason Loftus
FALCON LAKE , directed by Charlotte Le Bon
I LIKE MOVIES , directed by Chandler Levack
NORBOURG , directed by Maxime Giroux
NORTH OF NORMAL , directed by Carly Stone
RICEBOY SLEEPS , directed by Anthony Shim (WINNER)
SOMETHING YOU SAID LAST NIGHT , directed by Luis De Filippis
THE SWEARING JAR , directed by Lindsay MacKay
TO KILL A TIGER , directed by Nisha Pahuja
WINNER – KUESSIPAN
2019 nOMINEES
AND THE BIRDS RAINED DOWN , directed by Louise Archambault
ANTIGONE , directed by Sophie Deraspe
CASTLE IN THE GROUND , directed by Joey Klein
EASY LAND , directed by Sanja Zivkovic
GORDON LIGHTFOOT: IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND , directed by Martha Kehoe and Joan Tosoni
JORDAN RIVER ANDERSON, THE MESSENGER , directed by Alanis Obomsawin
KUESSIPAN , directed by Myriam Verreault (WINNER)
MATTHIAS & MAXIME , directed by Xavier Dolan
PREY , directed by Matt Gallagher
WILLIE , directed by Laurence Mathieu-Léger
PAST JURIES
2022 Jury members
Magali Simard , Director of Industry and Community Relations at Cinespace Studios Toronto
Jason Gorber , film journalist and member of the Toronto Film Critics Association, OFCS and the Critics Choice Association
Sally Lee , Executive Director of the Canadian Independent Screen Fund for BPOC creators
Joanna Miles , marketing executive
Glenn Sumi , arts writer and editor
2019 jury members
Karen Bruce, Executive Director, Women In Film and Television Toronto
Isabelle Corriveau, Journalist, Radio-Canada
Joshua Riehl, Writer-Director, The Russian Five