Skate 4 Cancer's Rob Dyer (Right forefront)
Earlier this month, The Scene inTO told you about Toronto’s Scotiabank Theatre hosting a free public screening of all the nominated films from Air Canada’s enRoute Film Festival. The screening was followed by the awards celebration at The Drake Hotel and the entire evening was a success.
Filmmakers, jury members and industry luminaries were in attendance at the exclusive event, including celebrity presenters Kari Skogland (Genie Award-winner for Best Adapted Screenplay, director/writer, Fifty Dead Men Walking), Carlo Rota (24), Rob Stewart (director, Sharkwater), and Kathleen Robertson (A Night For Dying Tigers, 90210).
The winner of the Best Short Film was Adam Shamash for La Khaima: The Tent of Mile-End (Montreal). This short follows a snippet of the life of Atigh Ould and his famous Mauritanian restaurant in Montreal. The film focuses on both diversity and unanimity at the same time, while drawing you in with world beat rhythms and multicultural mosaics.
“After receiving this award, I feel very honoured to have been highlighted as an emerging filmmaker from Air Canada, enRoute and renowned jury members,” said Shamash. “The festival has given me an amazing platform to network and communicate my message.”
The Scene inTO sat down and chatted with King Mugabi, winner of the Achievement in Animation for Red Snow (Toronto). About his film he had this to say: “Red Snow is about two orphaned brothers with nothing in the world but each other. Being an orphan and having a younger brother, I simply looked inward and expressed my feelings in the form of visual narrative.”
Mugabi, having only just graduated from Sheridan earlier this year, looked both tired and excited. When asked how he felt about being nominated and what the road was like to this point, he said he felt a sense of vindication.
“The road to this point has been long and tumultuous. What I remember most vividly was the daily commute. I’d ride my bicycle from Leslieville to the GO station or my friend’s house for a carpool. It’s funny, I would always complain about the cold and stress I endured every day as I would ride back and forth through the city, but it’s the cold that turned out to be the defining visual for my thesis.”
King Mugabi of Red Snow rests for a moment with some film fanatics
On learning that he was the winner of the Animation award Mugabi remained humble. “Winning the award was a joy. For two days enRoute had us giving TV interviews and treated us to hotel breakfasts that by the time they screened my film at the Scotiabank Theater, I was ready to tally up my blessings. When they announced that I had won the award for the Best Achievement in Animation I was pretty much at a loss for words. At this point I have nothing but gratitude and well wishes for the organizers at enRoute and my fellow finalists.”
The Scene inTO wishes to congratulate all the Air Canada enRoute Film Festival Winners and we look forward to seeing what they have in store for us in the future.
Further info:
The grand prize winner was awarded $5,000 courtesy of Cineplex Entertainment. All winners were awarded an all-inclusive trip for two to the Whistler Film Festival courtesy of Air Canada.
Best Short Film
Adam Shamash for La Khaima: The Tent of Mile-End (Montreal)
Achievement in Direction
Adam Shamash for La Khaima: The Tent of Mile-End (Montreal)
Achievement in Cinematography
Shervin Kermani and Aita Jason for Sofia (Toronto)
Achievement in Animation
King Mugabi for Red Snow (Toronto)
All Photos Courtesy of Nicola Betts.
Similar Posts:
- Scene & Heard: Air Canada’s enRoute Film Festival is back
- Air Canada’s enRoute Film Festival
- In the City: Cinéfranco International Francophone Film Festival
- A Week Celebrating Franco Films
- In the City: Closing weekend for Cinéfranco Film Festival
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Had noticed these selections on the On-Board Video option on my last AC Flight to Quebec City(tsiTO readers may remember my travel notes on Quebec City here). Will now have a much closer look these award-winning films on my flight to NYC next week. Thanks for the heads up tsiTO!