Hollywood North Film Awards show celebrates Canadian movies that push boundaries

Nominees for Best Canadian Feature at the Hollywood North Film Awards (clockwise from top left): Julian Filigno's "Pulk," Bennet De Brabandere's "Cherrypicker," Junga Song's "The Petrichor," Patrick Phillips' "Broken," Stuart G. Robinson's "Edwin."

Peter Howell

Movie Critic

Hollywood North Film Awards, the most indie of Canadian film celebrations, is set for its fourth edition May 30 to honour features and shorts that "push the boundaries of storytelling."

The HNFAs ceremony is scheduled to broadcast via Facebook Live, beginning at 5:45 p.m. Sunday.

Five films are competing for the top honour, Best Canadian Feature, as well as other prizes: Patrick Phillips' "Broken," a thriller of friendships threatened by criminal success; Bennet De Brabandere's "Cherrypicker," a dark comedy of four sisters conspiring against their mom's new lover; Stuart G. Robinson's "Edwin," a drama of a screenwriter confronting a dark secret; Junga Song's "The Petrichor," a drama of a pro figure skater struggling to get her life back; and Julian Filigno's "Pulk," a crime story told in vignettes.

(UPDATE, May 31: Filigno's "Pulk" won for Best Canadian Feature, as well as for Best Director, Best Writing and Best Production Design.)

​Hollywood North Film Awards is a national non-profit organization based in Toronto. The stated aim of the HNFAs is to give filmmakers "the opportunity to gain valuable feedback on their films without compromising their premiere status."

The no-compromises distinction is important: HNFAs doesn't screen films in their entirety, so they can still qualify for world premieres at such larger Canuck festivals as TIFF, Hot Docs and the Canadian Film Fest.

“After the year we have had, to celebrate the tremendous talent across submissions and nominees has been beyond energizing for our festival team," says HNFAs founder Michael Flax.

"Each year we see more innovation, new perspectives, and greater inclusivity across the films we get to watch, and I can’t tell you how excited that makes us for the future of film in Hollywood North. Canadian homegrown talent is among the best in the world, and I am grateful to every filmmaker who participated in our fourth year for helping grow our incredible community of creators.” 🌓

(Night Vision is a sponsor of Hollywood North Film Awards.)

Twitter: @peterhowellfilm