Leo Award nominations
honour best in B.C. film
  
Michael D. Reid
Times Colonist
Wednesday, April 23, 2008


Five homegrown film and TV projects, including a Canadian feature film made in Victoria last year, have been nominated for Leo Awards, the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Foundation of B.C. has announced.

"Normal", Carl Bessai's ensemble drama about intertwining lives of characters affected by a tragedy, led the local pack with 11 nominations, including best feature-length drama, best director and best screenwriting.

"Saving Luna", the award-winning documentary about the young orca by Gulf Islands couple Suzanne Chisholm and Michael Parfit, took four nominations -- for screenwriting, cinematography and supporting performance (female), and in the documentary program or series nature/environment/adventure/science/technology category.

Also nominated in that category was "Survival of the Fittest", Martin de Valk's documentary focusing on the physical and emotional challenges faced by ordinary people on a quest to test their endurance by hiking the rugged West Coast Trail.

"Captain Cook: Obsession and Discovery", Ferns Productions' slick and comprehensive globe-trotting mini-series about the legendary explorer, was nominated in the best documentary program or series category.

"Killer Whale and Crocodile", directed by Peter C. Campbell and produced by Arthur Holbrook, was also honoured with a nomination in the arts/performing arts component of the documentary category.

The film explores two of the world's great carving traditions through the growing bond and artistic journeys of John Marston, a Coast Salish carver from Vancouver Island, and Teddy Balangu, a carver from New Guinea's Latmul tribe.

Other honours garnered by "Normal" included nominations for best actor (Callum Keith Rennie, Tygh Runyon), actress (Camille Sullivan), supporting actor (Cameron Bright), supporting actress (Britt Irvin and Lauren Lee Smith), cinematography and editing.

Another picture with a local connection -- "In The Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale", which saw East Sooke masquerade as a medieval village -- scored nominations for best production design and best costumes in its category.

A Victoria producer, Andrew Koster, was also involved in "They Wait", a ghost story starring Michael Biehn and Jaime King that was nominated as best feature-length drama and for best editing.

Established in 1998, the Leo Awards celebrate excellence in B.C. film and television production. The 10th anniversary awards celebration takes place May 23 and 24 at Vancouver's Westin Bayshore.

mreid@tc.canwest.com

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