(May19, 2022–Toronto, Ontario) Following last night’s in-person celebration, WIFT Toronto is thrilled to announce the winners of the 13th annual WIFT Toronto Showcase awards. This year’s Showcase featured seven outstanding projects from both emerging, and seasoned Canadian women creators.

“We were thrilled to have the opportunity to return to our in-person events and the WIFT Toronto Showcase was the perfect opportunity to welcome our members, sponsors and the industry back to a full house at TIFF Bell Lightbox. This year’s submissions were another testament to the resiliency of our members and the industry as a whole during challenging times. On behalf of WIFT Toronto, I want to thank our generous sponsors, esteemed jury, and I especially want to congratulate this year’s talented creators and selected winners,” said Karen Bruce, WIFT Toronto Executive Director.

THE 2022 AWARD WINNERS ARE:

Best Directing

Winner: Hogtown – Episode 2: Stronger Together (Original title: Ainsi va Manu)
‍written, directed, and co-produced by Josiane Blanc

Prize:$2000 from the Foundation of WIFT Toronto, a virtual meeting with director Annie Bradley, Chair DGC Ontario, and 2 Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto memberships.

Best Writing

Winner: Miikshi – Splash Landing
written by Lindsay Lee

Prize:$2000 from the Foundation of WIFT Toronto, writing software worth $250 from Final Draft, a consultation with script reader and story editor Jamie Gaetz, and an opportunity from CBC to sit-in on both a drama and a comedy writing room.

Best of Showcase

Winner: A Hundred Joys
directed by Amanda Ann-Min Wong

Prize:$2000 from the Foundation of WIFT Toronto, certificate worth $2,500 for post-production work at Company 3 and a virtual meeting with Andrew Frank, Vice President, Sales and Acquisitions at Mongrel Media.

Audience Choice

Winner: The Bubble
directed, written, and produced by Beth Evans

Prize:$1000 from the Foundation of WIFT Toronto, and a $2,500 certificate for equipment rental from Grandé Camera.

Best Director, Best Writing and Best of Showcase award winners were decided upon by a volunteer Showcase selection jury, comprised of WIFT Toronto members: Luisa Alvarez Restrepo, Visaree Bradshaw-Coore, Emilia Copeland, Maude DeMarco, Raj Dhillon, Rebecca Gibson, Shagun Kanwar, Kai Little-White, Jo Proulx, Emily Schooley, and Asis Sethi.

WIFT Toronto Showcase is made possible with the support of Presenting Sponsor Toronto International Film Festival; Supporting Sponsors Directors Guild of Canada in Ontario and SIM; Event Partner Company 3; and Event Supporters CBC, Final Draft, Foundation for WIFT Toronto, Grandé Camera, Jamie Gaetz, and Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto.

For More information about Showcase and films screened

About WIFT Toronto Showcase

Since its inception in 2010, WIFT Toronto Showcase has screened over 99 projects by Canadian women and women-identifying creators including: Lisa Baylin, Jordan Canning, Karen Chapman, Nikila Cole, Danishka Esterhazy, Lauren Grant, Kathleen Hepburn, Renuka Jeyapalan, Amy Jo Johnson, Gloria Kim, Jennifer Liao, Lea Marin, Molly McGlynn, Jasmin Mozaffari, Nimisha Mukerji, Sarah Quan, Lisa Rideout, Shaleen Sangha, Nadine Valcin, and Dawn Wilkinson. In the last 5 years, with the help of the Foundation for WIFT Toronto, WIFT Showcase has awarded more than $35,000 in cash prizes to winners.

For additional information, interviews and images, contact: Patti McCabe, Program and Special Events Manager, pmccabe@wift.com