Leah wins Corus Fearless Female Director Award

The National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI) handed out the latest round of awards in its NSI Online Short Film Festival recently, awarding Leah Johnston with the Corus Fearless Female Directors Award for best direction by a female for Some Things Won’t Sleep;

All winners also receive a complimentary Friend membership to the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.

The award selection was made by an independent jury: programmer Christian Kelley, screenwriter and industry professional Liz Janzen and filmmaker Justin Oakey, the most recent winner of the A&E Short Filmmakers Award for best film for Flankers.

Our jurors had this to say about the film:

Christian: “Leah’s ability to elicit a creeping dread in her short demonstrates the filmmaking skill of a much more seasoned director. Picking her was one of the easiest tasks that the jury had.”

Liz: “Leah Johnston’s assured direction in Some Things Won’t Sleep manifests itself in the masterful way she mixes past and present, all the while eliciting superb performances from her cast.”

Justin: “A great filmmaker from out here in the east coast that I have had the honour of screening with. Happy to cast a vote her way.”

Director Leah Johnston said, “I’m truly ecstatic to have been given this award. I’m thankful to Corus and the National Screen Institute for recognizing women who are excelling in this field.

It was an ambitious film to make – a big thank you to my fearless cast and crew for bringing the movie to life.”