Since 2000, a panel of professional critics from Vancouvers print, radio, online and television industries has tempered the snark so essential to their métier and joined forces to acknowledge the years very best in film.
This year, Steve McQueens 12 Years a Slave is the Vancouver Film Critics Circles top international pick with six nominations, including best film, actor (Chiwetel Ejiofor), supporting actor (Michael Fassbender) and supporting actress (Lupita Nyongo).
The Act of Killing, Blackfish and West of Memphis have been nominated for Best Documentary, while Blancanieves, Blue is the Warmest Color and The Hunt have landed solidly in Best Foreign Language Film.
Closer to home, The Dirties, a conceptually daring story of two film geeks planning a high school shooting, has secured five VFCC nominations in the Canadian category, including Best Canadian Film (up against Gabrielle and Watermark) and Best First Film by a Canadian Director making its début as a category.
Director-star Matt Johnson has also been nominated for Best Director of a Canadian Film and Best Actor in a Canadian film.
The 2013 nominees for Best BC Film are Down River, Oil Sands Karaoke and When I Walk.
Canadian animation pioneer Al Sens has been announced as the winner of the 2014 Ian Caddell Award for Achievement. Presented to a British Columbian who has made a significant contribution to the provinces film industry, this award is named in honour of the VFCCs cofounder who passed away in 2012.
A Vancouver native, the self-taught animator founded Al Sens Animation, the citys first animation studio, in 1958. Since then, hes amassed an impressive body of inventive work (including 1965s The See Hear Talk Think Dream and Act Film and 1978s Canadian Vignettes: Logger), developed his trademark spit technique and served as a mentor to generations of animators.
Sens, who turns 80 this week, will be presented with his award at the VFCCs 14th annual awards ceremony, to be held at the Railway Club in Vancouver on Tuesday, January 7.
The complete list of nominees can be found at VancouverFilmCritics.com.
