Coyote directed by Katherine Jerkovic took the Borsos Award for Best Canadian Feature and Jorge Martinez Colorado, star of the film, received this year’s Best Performance in a Borsos Competition Film Award at the 22nd edition of Whistler Film Festival (WFF). The jury stated that Coyote is “a masterfully rendered film, both tragic and hopeful, about unconditional love and sacrifice. A film that holds you in poetic stillness and takes you on a genuine familial journey that resonates with you long after the film is over.”

The Best Director of a Borsos Competition Film Award, presented by the Directors Guild of Canada, British Columbia, goes to Joëlle Desjardins Paquette for Rodeo. The jury stated, “Rodeo is a visceral, gripping, and emotionally complex ride directed with a confident and intuitive eye set in the unique and dangerous world of truck rodeo.”

Best Screenplay in a Borsos Film went to Guillaume Lambert for Niagara; Best Cinematography in a Borsos Film went to cinematographer David Schuurman for his work in Polaris, and Best Editing in a Borsos film went to Arthur Tarnowski for The 12 Tasks Of Imelda.

The World Documentary Award was presented to River, directed by Jennifer Peedom. The jury stated “the film is a meditative, yet urgent odyssey. River is cinematographically beautiful and the camerawork felt as if it was caressing the globe. It makes you fall in love with nature and explicates the fragile relationships that humans have with rivers.”

Award Winners of 2022 Whistler Film Festival

Borsos Award for Best Canadian Feature Film – COYOTE directed by Katherine Jerkovic and produced by Nicolas Comeau

Best Director of a Borsos Competition Film sponsored by Directors Guild of Canada, BC – Joëlle Desjardins Paquette for RODEO

Best Screenplay of a Borsos Competition Film – Guillaume Lambert for NIAGARA

Best Performance in a Borsos Competition Film – Jorge Martinez Colorado in COYOTE with an honourable mention to Viva Lee in POLARIS and Lilou Roy-Lanouette in RODEO

Best Cinematography in a Borsos Competition Film Presented by ICG 669 – David Schuurman for POLARIS with an honorable mention to Stirling Bancroft for EXILE

Best Editing in a Borsos Competition Film Presented by IATSE 891 goes to Arthur Tarnowski for THE 12 TASKS OF IMELDA

World Documentary Award – RIVER directed by Jennifer Peedom with an honorable mention to OUT IN THE RING directed by Ry Levey

Best Mountain Culture Short Film – THE TRAPLINE by Andrea Wing with an honorable mention to SNOWBLIND directed by Anthony Bonello and Mike Douglas

Best Mountain Culture Feature Film – KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: TO THE HILLS AND BACK Directed by Mike Quigley

Best BC Director Award – Carl Bessai for FÉLINE@6.15 with an honorable mention to Jules Koostachin for BROKEN ANGEL

Canadian ShortWork Award – TONGUE directed by Kaho Yoshida

International ShortWork Award – WARSHA directed by Dania Bdeir with an honorable mention to ICE MERCHANTS directed by João Gonzalez

BC Student ShortWork Award – OMUKAMA directed by Zane Klassen

Power Pitch Competition – Jonathan Chuby won the WFF Power Pitch Competition with his project DUCK RACE

MPPIA Short Film Pitch – Nessa Aref for MY ROOMMATE AHRIMAN with an honorable mention to Rosie Choo Pidcock for SORRY FOR YOUR COST