Whistler Film Festival, Alliance of Women Film Journalists announce winners of AWFJ EDA Awards
Nouveau Quebec’s Sarah Fortin, $avvy’s Robin Hauser, and Fanmi’s female-directing team honoured at WFF, running online to December 31
Christine Beaulieu, Nouveau Quebec.
Whistler Film Festival runs online to December 31.
THE ALLIANCE OF Women Film Journalists has presented the 2021 EDA awards at the 21st edition of the Whistler Film Festival.
AWFJ presents awards at the end of each year and throughout the year at select film festivals. The awards take their name from AWFJ founder Jennifer Merin’s mother, Eda Reiss Merin, a stage, film and television actor whose career spanned more than 60 years and who was one of the founders of AFTRA and a long-standing member of AMPAS.
These awards are presented in three categories.
This year’s EDA Award for Best Female-Directed Feature went to Sarah Fortin, whose slow-burning drama Nouveau Quebec marks her directorial debut. “Fortin’s film thrives in how it captures and represents intense trauma in an isolated location and the culture of the area’s Innu and Naskapi residents with the dexterity of a more experienced filmmaker,” the jury said.
The jury awarded the EDA Award for Best Female Directed Narrative Documentary to $avvy, directed by Robin Hauser. She was praised for her ability to give women prone to money troubles practical steps to achieve financial literacy—even say the film has the power to change lives.
Finally, Carmine Pierre-Dufour and Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers won the EDA Award for Best Female-Directed Short Film for “Fanmi”. Part of WFF’s ShortWorks 1 program, the work provides an intimate portrait of two strong-willed women who will do anything in their power to protect each other and learn from past mistakes.
All three films are available for online viewing throughout the duration of the fest, which runs to December 31.
The full slate of WFF award winners will be announced at the WFF Awards Show online on December 19.
The 21st edition of the Whistler Film Festival includes 81 films, 40 features and 41 shorts and this year achieved directorial gender parity, with 20 of 40 features and 25 of 41 shorts directed or co-directed by women or non-binary individuals.
Tickets are at whistlerfilmfestival.com/tickets/, with 50 percent of net proceeds from online ticket revenues shared with the filmmakers or Canadian rights holders.
More information is at whistlerfilmfestival.com.
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