18and Take It Short Awards Gala! rewarded the best short films of the year on Friday evening. The MELS Short Cup, the competition’s highest distinction, was awarded to Gabriel Allard Gagnon for his film Sikiitu.
Posted at 7:00 a.m.
The evening hosted by Anaïs Favron was held on Friday at the Cinémathèque québécoise, as part of the 40are Meet Quebec Cinema. The award ceremony was provided by 65 industry personalities. The films of the new talents of the short film were awarded prizes with a total value of $279,000. This year, 55 films were in the running.
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PHOTO SARAH MONGEAU-BIRKETT, THE PRESS
Several artists and artisans of the cinema gathered Friday evening at the Cinémathèque québécoise for the Gala des Prix Prends ça court!
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PHOTO SARAH MONGEAU-BIRKETT, THE PRESS
Anaïs Favron hosted the evening.
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PHOTO SARAH MONGEAU-BIRKETT, THE PRESS
Sylvie Quenneville, General Manager of Québec Cinéma, is photographed with producer and director Jason Brennan, on the blue carpet before the Gala. He was also on the jury.
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PHOTO SARAH MONGEAU-BIRKETT, THE PRESS
Yan England presented an award at the ceremony.
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PHOTO SARAH MONGEAU-BIRKETT, THE PRESS
Just like the actress Émilie Bierre.
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PHOTO SARAH MONGEAU-BIRKETT, THE PRESS
The actor Henri Picard also participated in the award ceremony.
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PHOTO SARAH MONGEAU-BIRKETT, THE PRESS
Director Éric Gravel, whose film Full time is currently playing, also took part in the evening.
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Sikiitu, directed by Gabriel Allard Gagnon and co-written by Erik K. Boulianne, won the Court Cup. This short film, in which we follow a 15-year-old Inuit, Ali, whose dream is to do hip-hop, also won the Air Canada–Québec Gold award with four other films, namely Suzanne and Chantalby Rachel Graton, No ghost in the morgue, by Marilyn Cooke, Louise from 9 to 5by Julien G. Marcotte, and Aska, by Clara Milo. The winning films will be available for viewing on Air Canada aircraft in the coming year.
Denis Villeneuve from the party
The very first Coup de cœur Denis Villeneuve prize from Prends ça court!, worth $20,000, was awarded to Aska, by director Clara Milo. The film recounts the quest of two sisters attempting to climb an active volcano to scatter their mother’s ashes there.
Denis Villeneuve himself chose the winning film as well as the special mention, awarded to blonde nightby Gabrielle Demers (winner of a $5,000 prize).
The film Ousmaneby Jorge Camarotti, won six awards, including the Martin Dubreuil prize from the Union des artistes given to actor Issaka Sawadogo. Mazzarello, by Carmen Rachiteanu, was awarded five prizes. In addition to the special mention of the Coup de coeur prize, the work of Gabrielle Demers, blonde nightwon three awards.
Fifty prizes were awarded this year. Dozens of other short film directors have seen their work highlighted by an award.
Twelve personalities from the film world formed the jury this year, including actress Zeneb Blanchet, poet and director Alexandre Dostie, director Sarra El Abed, director and actress Alexa-Jeanne Dubé, director Laurence “Baz” Morais, actress Marguerite Bouchard, producer and director Jason Brennan, artistic director Jean-François Clément, director of the Aboriginal arts grants program of the Canada Council for the Arts Odile Joannette, actress Véronique Beaudet, actor Dany Lefebvre and director Renaud Lessard .