Reel People and the Leo Awards share similar raisons d'être: we both exist to showcase the casts, crews, and storytellers who populate Vancouver’s film and TV industry. I nerd out for the Vancouver screen scene all year long, so when Leo Awards time rolls around again, I stake out my place in the thick of it.
We’ve got three ceremonies coming up this weekend and next: Celebration Awards Ceremony One on May 27, Celebration Awards Ceremony Two on June 3, and the Big Kahuna – the Red Carpet Gala – on June 4. 113 Leo Awards will be handed out over those three nights in ballrooms at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver: to the casts, crews, and creative forces behind feature-length and short films, documentaries, web series, all manner of TV shows, music videos, and (my favourite!) student productions – with more than 1250 industry insiders and cinephiles expected to attend.
Motive leads the television drama category with 13 nominations, including one for Lead Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series for star Kristin Lehman. CTV’s unconventional “whydunit” wrapped its fourth and final season last year; other TV nominees include by Syfy’s vampire-centric hit Van Helsing (with nine nominations), ICE (eight nominations), Rogue (eight nominations), and the cult favourite Bates Motel (five nominations). Cadence – a psychological thriller that premiered at the 2016 Vancouver International Film Festival – is the top contender in the motion picture category with 10 nominations, followed closely by horror film The Unseen (nine nominations), hockey culture deep-dive Hello Destroyer (seven nominations), and Lost Solace (seven nominations). We’ve profiled many Leo nominees in Reel People; you can find a list of those stories here.
I’ll be there for all of it, tweeting (@sabrinarmf), frantically jotting down notes, snapping pictures, and soaking it all in so I can share it with you via next-day recap articles. Since I began covering the local screen scene in 2013, I’ve attended 10 Leo Awards ceremonies– and come Leo Awards season, there’s no place I’d rather be. Here’s why:
-It’s prom: There is no BC film and TV clubhouse where everyone hangs out and plays foosball 24/7/365 (at least, none that I’ve ever seen). Hollywood North isn’t exactly Hollywood; the bulk of reel people in this city lead rather unglamorous lives: knee-deep in mud on sets in Langley; going full-throttle at editing stations in order to meet a film festival deadline; cramming media interviews between auditions, school pick-up, and non-showbiz jobs. The Leo Awards are one of the only happenings on the calendar where the film and television community comes together to raise a glass to their accomplishments and hobnob in all their finery – just like prom!
-It’s a chance to celebrate unsung heroes: The final night of the Leos – the red carpet gala – is without a doubt the glitziest of the bunch, but the others aren’t lacking in spirit. I especially love the first night of the Leos, AKA Celebration Awards Ceremony One, AKA the tech awards, where behind-the-scenes artists who normally eschew the spotlight – VFX artists, editors, make-up artists, cinematographers, hairstylists – get their moment. These artists are crucial in the ecology of film and television production, but they rarely get the glory. It’s fun to cheer ’em on and watch them let loose; Ceremony One might not be the glitziest, but it’s arguably the rowdiest. Across all three nights, the thank-you speeches are profound and impactful: indie films and web series in particular are cobbled together with duct tape and passion and volunteers, and the speeches reflect the love, sacrifice, and “it takes a village” spirit required to bring stories to the screen.
-It’s a chance to build my must-watch list: Not everything that’s nominated for a Leo has screened in a local film fest or on TV. You need only have completed a screen project in the previous calendar year to be eligible for Leo Awards consideration; a nomination can act like a signal boost (especially for projects that can’t afford a publicist), and places projects on my radar that might not otherwise make it on there. It was at the 2016 Leo Awards that I first saw clips from On the Farm, Tank Girl director Rachel Talalay’s film that focused on the victims of serial killer Robert Pickton. Later in the summer, I wrote about the film in advance of its VIFF Vancity Theatre screening and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it CBC airing. I still count On the Farm among the best locally made films in recent years. I’m eager to catch a glimpse of the next can’t-miss project, and share it with Reel People readers.
-For BC artists, by BC artists: No shade to the juggernaut Canadian Screen Awards, but sometimes finding the BC contingent among the CSA nominees is a little bit like panning for gold. Despite representing the best in Canadian film and television, those particular awards have a distinctly east-of-the-Rockies slant – and I would side-eye anyone who claims that it’s because film and television created in Toronto or Montreal is infinitely better. Vancouver is one of the busiest film and television production hubs in the world, with good reason, and our screen artists deserve the red carpet treatment too, dammit. The Leos give us the opportunity to celebrate our homegrown screen storytellers in a ritzy setting. They deserve their moment.
The Leo Awards aren’t broadcast, but there are a few ways to tap into the magic: you can purchase tickets (for non-nominees, tickets run $205-$255 per ceremony, which includes a three-course dinner), follow the fun via social media channels – #leoawards17 and #leoawards2017 are the official hashtags, and of course there’s always yours truly @sabrinarmf – or scour my next-day recap articles at Westender.com. For nominees and schedules per evening, visit http://www.leoawards.com.
