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VIFF: Applause for BC filmmakers

After a year of bumps and bruises, the BC film community took a moment to celebrate its shining stars. A capacity crowd of filmmakers, actors, funders and cinephiles gathered in the Vancouver Playhouse on Oct.
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After a year of bumps and bruises, the BC film community took a moment to celebrate its shining stars.

A capacity crowd of filmmakers, actors, funders and cinephiles gathered in the Vancouver Playhouse on Oct. 5 for the inaugural presentation of two cash awards geared towards the provinces top moviemakers: $7,500 for Best Emerging Filmmaker and $10,000 for Best BC Film.

Director Matthew Kowalchuk took home the Emerging Filmmaker prize for his first feature film, Lawrence & Holloman, while The Dick Knost Show won the award for Best BC Film (actor Tom Scholte accepted the award on behalf of director Bruce Sweeney).

The awards were handed out as part of the Vancouver International Film Festivals Spotlight on BC, which sought to bolster the provinces filmmakers in the wake of the widely reported industry slowdown.

The ceremony was followed by a screening of Down River. The drama has close ties to the Vancouver film, TV and theatre communities, inspired as it was by the passing of legendary actress Babz Chula. The hometown love is the best kind, Down River director Ben Ratner told the crowd before the screening.

VIFF continues until Oct. 11. VIFF.org.