Film festival gems and nail-biting television dramas are among the top contenders for 2016 Leo Awards.
The Leos – which recognize excellence in the British Columbia film and television sphere – are handed out each May and June over several splashy ceremonies. The list of nominees for the 2016 edition was posted overnight to the Leo Awards web site.
CTV’s crime procedural Motive leads the pack with 17 nominations.
It’s followed closely by The Romeo Section, which received 14 nominations. The espionage thriller premiered in September and marked veteran showrunner Chris Haddock’s highly anticipated return to CBC Television.
On the feature film front, Connor Gaston’s critically acclaimed The Devout leads the film pack with 14 nominations (including program, direction, screenwriting, cinematography, and nominations for actors Charlie Carrick and Ali Liebert).
Whistler Film Festival alumnus Numb clocks in at 12 nominations (including acting nominations for Marie Avgeropoulos and Aleks Paunovic), and the emotionally charged The Birdwatcher – about a dying woman who desperately seeks a relationship with her biological mother – follows closely behind with nine (including nominations for stars Gabrielle Rose and Camille Sullivan).
Awards will also be handed out in the categories of Short Drama, Documentary Program or Series, Information, Lifestyle or Reality Program or Series, Music, Comedy or Variety Program or Series, Animation Program or Series, Youth or Children's Program or Series, Web Series, Music Video, and Student Production.
View the nomination list in its entirety here: http://www.leoawards.com/2016/nominees/by_name.php
Reel People has profiled more than a few of this year’s nominees; study up for the three ceremonies via these handy links:
Numb (including Aleks Paunovic)
The Birdwatcher
The Romeo Section (including Juan Riedinger)
Blackstone (including Carmen Moore)
Some Assembly Required (including Ellie Harvie)
The 2016 Leo Awards will be handed out on May 28, June 4, and June 5. The awards aren’t broadcast or live-streamed, but Reel People will be present for all three ceremonies. Follow @sabrinarmf for live tweets and red carpet coverage, and watch this space for pre-event interviews with the nominees.
