Canada continues to make its mark this awards season.
By: John Vo
(Abby Grant/CanCulture)
The Academy Awards, also known as The Oscars, is one of the most esteemed awards shows that honours the achievements of filmmakers every year. For Canadian filmmakers and actors, these awards can jumpstart their careers. The nominations for this year’s ceremony were announced on Feb. 8 and Canadians were able to again score nominations in some major categories.
Here’s a rundown of all the amazing Canadian talent who earned recognition at this year’s Oscars for their achievements in cinema.
Denis Villeneuve: Best Picture & Best Writing — Adapted Screenplay
Film Nominated: Dune (2021)
Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve is no stranger to being recognized by the Academy. Having previously been nominated for Best Director with Arrival (2016) and winning the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 83rd Academy Awards for Incendies (2010), Villeneuve has established himself as a formidable and talented director.
This year, he’s been nominated in two major categories for his 2021 film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel Dune. Receiving nominations for Best Writing — Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture, the latter considered the most important award of the night, Villeneuve is continuing to cement his status as a visionary within the Canadian and Hollywood film industry.
Patrice Vermette: Best Production Design
Film Nominated: Dune (2021)
Another nomination earned by Villeneuve's film is in the Best Production Design category. Montreal-born production designer Patrice Vermette is a frequent collaborator with Villeneuve, having earned a nomination in the same category for Arrival (2016). Given how grand the film’s sets look, Vermette deserved to be nominated alongside set decorator Zsuzsanna Sipos.
Tamara Deverell & Shane Vieau: Best Production Design
Film Nominated: Nightmare Alley (2021)
Liked Nightmare Alley. Production Design has to win the Oscar! pic.twitter.com/PY4zFFnZAR
— Olly Gibbs (@OllyGibbs) February 22, 2022
Guillermo Del Toro’s take on the neo-noir genre has many ties to Canada. Not only was the production crew mainly Canadian but the film itself was shot in Toronto. The Carlu Toronto and Casa Loma are just some of the iconic hotspots of the city that were used as filming locations.
The two main people credited for turning modern-day Toronto into the art-deco 1940s aesthetic of the film are production designer Tamara Deverell and set decorator Shane Vieau. It seems Del Toro has a penchant for working with people frequently as these two Canadians also worked with him on The Shape of Water (2017). Thanks to the help of Vieau and Deverell, the film allures audiences with its atmospheric production design.
Paul Massey: Best Sound or Sound Mixing
Film Nominated: No Time to Die (2021)
Part of the James Bond series, No Time to Die (2021) earned an Academy Award nomination this year for the Best Sound or Sound Mixing category. Paul Massey, who was originally born in the United Kingdom but has lived and worked mainly in Toronto, is one of the people nominated for the film’s sound. Massey won the same Oscar in 2019 for his work on Bohemian Rhapsody (2019).
Tristan Myles & Brian Connor: Best Visual Effects
Film Nominated: Dune (2021)
No competition this year. DUNE's visual effects are consistently grounded in reality and used to greatly enhance sequences Villeneuve and his team undertook practically, with an end result that feels both beautifully expressive and startlingly authentic. Masterful stuff. https://t.co/gAWnPEJRuW
— Isaac Feldberg (@isaacfeldberg) January 4, 2022
More love is being showered onto Canada, this time in the Best Visual Effects category. Tristan Myles and Brian Connor, two VFX artists working in Vancouver, have been nominated for their stellar work on Dune (2021). Science fiction films tend to be visual effects-heavy and these two men did not disappoint.
Donald Mowat: Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Film Nominated: Dune (2021)
#Dune makeup artist Donald Mowat says Stellan Skarsgard kept asking for more nude scenes. "Stellan just loved being naked as the Baron. We all used to kill ourselves laughing when Stellan would ask for more nude scenes," he said. (Via: @TheWrap) pic.twitter.com/F3gRAleGPC
— Binge Watch This (@BingeWatchThis_) February 21, 2022
Donald Mowat, a Canadian makeup artist, received a nomination for his contribution to Dune's (2021) makeup, hairstyling and prosthetics. This high-fantasy film had many grotesque and intricate character designs and Mowat’s work on the film helps bring this epic story to life. Villeneuve's film received tons of love this year from both fans and critics alike for its makeup so it’s amazing the Academy recognized Mowat’s talents too.
Luis Sequeira: Best Costume Design
Film Nominated: Nightmare Alley (2021)
A film’s costume design is one of the key determinants of a film’s quality. As part of the mostly Canadian production crew, Toronto-born and based costume designer Luis Sequeira does not disappoint with his work on Nightmare Alley (2021). The 1940s era in which the film is set is solidified by Sequeira’s costume design that takes inspiration from fashion trends and fabrics from the period. Bradley Cooper looks dapper in his detective outfit and the theatrical outfits Toni Collette wears as the tarot card reader are particular standouts.
“Most of the characters in the carnival are past their prime, so I wanted a lot of the costumes to look aged and worn out to show that history. Then once we moved into the city, it was all about dressing the characters in clothes that were of the moment. The fashion is brand new, and everything looks very slick and monochromatic,” Sequeira said in an interview with Vogue about the film’s costumes. Because of Sequeira’s eye for lush costuming, the film captures the spirit of a classic film noir.
Ben Proudfoot: Best Documentary (Short Subject)
Film Nominated: The Queen of Basketball (2021)
Ben Proudfoot was previously nominated last year in the Best Documentary (Short Subject) category for A Concerto Is a Conversation (2020) and managed to accomplish the same feat again this year. Born in Halifax, N.S., this young documentary filmmaker directed the riveting short documentary The Queen of Basketball (2021).
The documentary focuses on Lusia “Lucy” Harris and her story as a female basketball athlete. As the first and only woman ever drafted by an NBA team, Harris herself provides insight into her life story and career in this documentary. Harris died earlier this year in January after the release of the documentary. She’ll be remembered for all the achievements she made within the NBA and the sports world.
Geoff McLean: Best Documentary (Short Subject)
Film Nominated: Audible (2021)
Also a nominee in the Best Documentary (Short Subject) category, this Netflix documentary is a must-watch. Directed by Matthew Ogens, Audible (2021) is about Maryland School for the Deaf student-athlete Amaree McKenstry-Hall. The documentary hones in on his journey to win the football season with his team while simultaneously trying to cope with the suicide of his friend. This powerful documentary was produced by Canadian and Humber College graduate Geoff McLean, who earned the nomination for his producing contribution. The full documentary is available to watch on Netflix here.
The National Film Board of Canada: Best Animated Short Film
Film Nominated: Affairs of the Art (2021)
Affairs of the Art (2021) was co-produced by The National Film Board of Canada. The animated short film follows a working-class woman and her family, who are all obsessive and eccentric. The woman’s desire to become an artist is explored in a short film that is unique and off-beat in premise and animation style.
Roger Frappier: Best Picture
Film Nominated: The Power of the Dog (2021)
Another Best Picture nominee, Roger Frappier, received a nomination as a producer for Jane Campion’s critically acclaimed film The Power of the Dog (2021). Frappier was born in Saint-Joseph-de-Sorel, Montérégie, Que. and established himself as a producer and writer within the Canadian film industry. He is nominated alongside Campion and the other producers for the film. As the most nominated film of this awards season with 12 nominations, many are expecting the film to win in a few categories. The full film is available to watch on Netflix here.
J. Miles Dale: Best Picture
Film Nominated: Nightmare Alley (2021)
Rounding out the list of Canadians nominated in the Best Picture category and overall, Toronto producer J. Miles Dale received a nomination for his work on Guillermo Del Toro’s Nightmare Alley (2021). Having also produced Del Toro’s last film The Shape of Water (2017), the two working together seems to bring about good things as that film won Best Picture at the 90th Academy Awards.
With all these nominations, we are anticipating Canada can snag a few wins when the big night comes. The 2022 Oscars will air on Sunday, March 27. For more information, visit the Oscars’ official website.