A documentary about three Falun Gong practitioners escaping religious persecution in China was the big winner at the second night of the 2017 Leo Awards.
Avenues of Escape – directed by Leon Lee, who won a Peabody Award for Human Harvest, his film about China’s illegal organ trade – swept the Documentary Feature category on Saturday night, winning Best Program, Best Director, Best Screenwriting, and Best Score.
The film recounts the story of three women who seek to escape the imprisonment and harassment regularly faced by Falun Gong practitioners in China. “I cherish the freedom to make films like this in Canada,” Lee said as he accepted the Leo Award for screenwriting. Later, during his second speech, he remarked “if I were to make a film like this in China, I would not be expecting an award.”
Now in its 19th year, the Leo Awards recognize artistic achievements in locally produced film and television projects. 113 awards are handed out over three nights in ballrooms at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver; Saturday’s event was hosted by veteran actors Paul McGillion (Stargate Atlantis) and Veena Sood (Battlestar Galactica), and included a video montage celebrating the artistry of cinematographers, musical performances by Red Heartbreaker, Eli Bennett and EB Funk, and awards handed out to composers, cinematographers, editors, directors, producers, actors, and musicians working in an array of film and television productions. Peruse the full results below.
The 2017 Leo Awards conclude on Sunday with the glitzy Red Carpet Gala, which will be hosted by Peter Kelamis (Beyond). The Leo Awards aren’t broadcast, but Reel People (@sabrinarmf) will be tweeting from the red carpet and ceremony. Watch this space for the full results from Sunday evening’s event.
MOTION PICTURE
Best Cinematography in a Motion Picture
Benjamin Loeb
Hello Destroyer
Best Picture Editing in a Motion Picture
Jamie Alain
The Sun At Midnight
Best Musical Score in a Motion Picture
Richard Walters
The Sun At Midnight
TELEVISION MOVIE
Best Cinematography in a Television Movie
Eric Goldstein
Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart
Best Picture Editing in a Television Movie
Jamie Alain, Justin Li
Dead Rising: Endgame
Best Musical Score in a Television Movie
Matthew Rogers
Who Killed JonBenét?
SHORT DRAMA
Best Cinematography in a Short Drama
Stewart Whelan, Brad Creasser
Cinephiliac
Best Picture Editing in a Short Drama
Alex Leigh Barker
The Goodnight Kiss
Best Musical Score in a Short Drama
Carlos Valdes, Jesse L. Martin
The Letter Carrier
DRAMATIC SERIES
Best Cinematography in a Dramatic Series
John Bartley
Bates Motel - Forever
Best Picture Editing in a Dramatic Series
Jane Morrison
The Romeo Section - Our Future World
Best Musical Score in a Dramatic Series
Jeff Toyne
Rogue - Maria, Full Of Grace
FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY
Best Feature Length Documentary
Avenues Of Escape
Leon Lee, Jason Loftus - Producers
Best Direction in a Feature Length Documentary
Leon Lee
Avenues Of Escape
Best Screenwriting in a Feature Length Documentary
Leon Lee
Avenues Of Escape
Best Musical Score in a Feature Length Documentary
Michael Richard Plowman
Avenues Of Escape
SHORT DOCUMENTARY PROGRAM
Best Short Documentary Program
Antonette
Ian Barbour - Producer
Best Direction in a Short Documentary Program
Ian Barbour, Darren Heroux
Antonette
Best Screenwriting in a Short Documentary Program
Andrew Huculiak, Cayne Mckenzie, David Menzel
Above Club
Best Musical Score in a Short Documentary Program
Daniel Ross
Srorrim
DOCUMENTARY SERIES
Best Documentary Series
Facing
Derik Murray, Paul Gertz, Rod Bellamy, Michael Miller, Ian Kerr - Producers
Best Direction in a Documentary Series
Derik Murray, Steve Burgess
Facing - Facing Putin
Best Screenwriting in a Documentary Series
Maija Leivo
Hell Below - The Wolfpack
INFORMATION, LIFESTYLE OR REALITY
Best Information, Lifestyle or Reality Program or Series
Groundwork: Natural Building In BC
Geoffrey Tomlin-Hood, Karolinka Zuzalek, Kevin Ehman - Producers
Best Direction in an Information, Lifestyle or Reality Program or Series
Andrew Muir
Hand Crafted - The Potter
Best Host(s) in an Information, Lifestyle or Reality Program or Series
Sophie Lui
Get Lost In Myanmar
MUSIC, COMEDY OR VARIETY
Best Music, Comedy or Variety Program or Series
Letterkenny
Mark Montefiore, Patrick O'Sullivan, Jared Keeso, Jacob Tierney - Producers
Best Screenwriting in a Music, Comedy or Variety Program or Series
Sonja Bennett
Kim's Convenience - Rude Kid
Best Performance in a Music, Comedy or Variety Program or Series
Tyler Johnston
Letterkenny - The Election
ANIMATION
Best Animation Program or Series
Beat Bugs
Josh Wakely, Jennifer Twiner-McCarron, Tim Gamble, Rob Simmons, Ivan Fecan, Frank Giustra, Trevor Roy, Ron Saunders, Mikael Borglund - Producers
Best Direction in an Animation Program or Series
Ann Marie Fleming
Window Horses
Best Screenwriting in an Animation Program or Series
Eoin Duffy
I Am Here
Best Musical Score in an Animation Program or Series
Taymaz Saba
Window Horses
Best Voice Performance in an Animation Program or Series
Lee Tockar
Slugterra - Get Pronto
YOUTH OR CHILDREN'S
Best Youth or Children's Program or Series
Scout & the Gumboot Kids
Tara Hungerford, Eric Hogan, Dave Valleau, Bruce Kahkesh, Tracey Mack, David Roncin, Natalie Glubb, Robert Murdoch - Producers
Best Direction in a Youth or Children's Program or Series
Zach Lipovsky
Mech-X4 - Let's Get The Big Bad
Best Screenwriting in a Youth or Children's Program or Series
Dan Signer, Howard Nemetz
Some Assembly Required – Mmmboing
Best Performance in a Youth or Children's Program or Series
Morgan Taylor Campbell
Sadies Last Days On Earth
WEB SERIES
Best Web Series
Telegraph Cove
Darren Borrowman - Producer
Best Performance by a Male in a Web Series
Gabe Khouth
Stake Out - Secret Santa
Best Performance by a Female in a Web Series
Savonna Spracklin
Telegraph Cove - December
MUSIC VIDEO
Best Music Video
Just In Time by Jessie Farrell
Jessie Farrell, Tara Hungerford, Eric Hogan, Tracey Mack, David Roncin,
Natalie Glubb, Dave Valleau, Bruce Kahkesh, Rob Murdoch - Producers
