The Vancouver Film Critics Circle has named Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog as its best international feature of 2021.
Campion’s award season contender beat out in the best picture competition Sian Heder’s Sundance hit CODA and Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast. Netflix’s The Power of the Dog stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Montana rancher Phil Burbank and scored a field-leading 12 nominations at the upcoming Oscars.
Vancouver film critics also named Dune helmer Denis Villeneuve as best director, while Adam McKay and David Sirota nabbed the best screenplay honor for their work on Don’t Look Up. And in the acting categories, Andrew Garfield won the best actor prize for his work in Tick, Tick … Boom!, and Olivia Colman picked up the best actress crown for her star turn in The Lost Daughter.
Elsewhere, Troy Kotsur won the best supporting male award for his role in CODA, in which he plays deaf fisherman Frank Rossi, and Ann Dowd earned the best supporting actress trophy for her performance in Fran Kranz’s ensemble drama Mass.
In the Canadian film categories, the big winner was Michael McGowan’s All My Puny Sorrows, a drama that stars Alison Pill as a struggling novelist trying to help her brilliant big sister (Sarah Gadon) recover from a recent suicide attempt.
A complete list of winners follows:
International Categories:
Best Picture
The Power of the Dog
Best Director
Denis Villeneuve, Dune
Best Screenplay
Adam McKay & David Sirota, Don’t Look Up
Best Actor
Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick… Boom!
Best Actress
Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter
Best Supporting Actor
Troy Kotsur, CODA
Best Supporting Actress
Ann Dowd, Mass
Best Documentary
Flee
Best Foreign Language Film
The Worst Person in the World
Canadian Film Categories
Best Picture
All My Puny Sorrows
Best Director
Danis Goulet, Night Raiders
Best Screenplay
Michael McGowan, All My Puny Sorrows
Best Actor
Daniel Doheny, Drinkwater
Best Actress
Alison Pill, All My Puny Sorrows
Best Supporting Actor
Joshua Odjick, Wildhood
Best Supporting Actress
Sarah Gadon, All My Puny Sorrows
Best Canadian Documentary
Kimmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy
Best British Columbia Film
Portraits from a Fire
One to Watch
Trevor Mack, Portraits from a Fire
Source: Hollywood
