Reader here, and it was a great evening at the Gallagher Centre on Saturday, as the 77th Yorkton Film Festival wrapped up with the Golden Sheaf Awards gala, as the festival’s best in Canadian short film and documentary films were honoured.
I was there covering the night for the newsroom, and a big crowd was on hand to enjoy the festivities, and excited to see who would go home with this year’s honours.
The evening began with the red carpet, with members of Yorkton’s Paper Bag Players acting as “paparazzi” for the evening, welcoming the attendees, while giving the night that little extra Hollywood glitz and glamour feel.
Everyone enjoyed a few cocktails and mingling before making their way to their tables, to enjoy another staple of the Golden Sheafs – the traditional Ukrainian feast!
Once everyone had satisfied their appetites, we all settled in for the awards gala itself to begin, with hosts George Evans and Joanne McDonald serving as MC’s for the evening.
I must apologize to George as well, as while sitting at my spot at the media table at the beginning of the ceremony, I was inadvertently the “tall gentleman” sitting in front of the teleprompter, so I quickly shifted seats and got the heck out of the way!
There were a few spots open at our table, so we were joined by some of the filmmakers, including two who took home some hardware.
ZhiMin Hu won a Golden Sheaf in the Multicultural category, for her film “The Teacup,” while Jules de Niverville took home a pair of trophies for his film “Hubris,” in two categories – Performing Arts & Entertainment, and Director – Fiction.
Both films were finalists for Best of Festival, and they were both very excited to receive that recognition, as well!
A very cool moment was when the Ruth Shaw Best of Saskatchewan Award was presented to young director Kodiak Reinson, for his film “Flickering Away,” about the impact of evolving technology, and its effect on the Regina IMAX Theatre.
He was a little bit speechless but very appreciative when accepting his trophy.
Kodiak is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Fine Arts, and in his first trip to the Yorkton Festival, up against perhaps more established filmmakers, he took home the prize.
I had a chance to speak with him after the ceremony, and he couldn’t have been nicer or more humble, and I wish him all the luck in the future.
Best of Festival went to “Evelyn,” described in a release from the YFF as a short documentary which “enters the world of the wise and wry human that is Evelyn Christopher and offers a little window into what we have lost with all our rushing around.”
Another of the evening’s big winners was “Searching for Satoshi: The Mysterious Disappearance of the Bitcoin Creator,” which earned three Golden Sheafs – for Research, Documentary History & Biography, and Director – Non-Fitcion.
Speaking to him after the gala wrapped up, Kemp lauded the Yorkton Film Festival, saying that it may not be as high=profile as some other bigger name festivals, the YFF is very difficult to get entered into, and that recognition is a major feather in the cap for his film.
He says one of the things that makes the Yorkton Film Festival so special year after year, is the the community support, saying residents and volunteers embrace it so much, making everyone who visits the city feel so welcome.
Yorkton Film Festival executive director Randy Goulden saluted everyone who makes the festival happen, from the volunteers, to the Lions Club (who put on another very successful Lobsterfest – as was mentioned several times during the evening), to the filmmakers themselves and fans who come to view their work and interact with the film crews.
(NOTE: If you want to read more about Lobsterfest, Eddie Q was there and recapped his evening. You can read it here: https://www.cruzyorkton.com/2024/05/27/a-recap-of-lobsterfest-2024/)
Goulden noted the over 300 Canadian short films and documentaries were submitted for this year’s festival, and after watching so many of them, she marveled at the talent, creativity and ideas that wound up being displayed on screen.
With this year’s festival in the books, she says a debrief will happen over the next few weeks, as planning already gets underway for the 78th edition of the Yorkton Film Festival.
By the way, you can mark that on your calendar – the 2025 edition of the festival is set for May 22-24 of next year.
If the excitement and good vibes on display at Saturday’s awards gala are any indication, I think everyone is already looking forward to coming back!
Congratulations once again to all the winners! If you weren’t able to attend the gala, or would like to relive all the action, here’s a replay of the evening’s festivities!
