Just a month or so after his influence was felt in the federal election, U.S. President Donald Trump was also a presence at the Canadian Screen Awards on Sunday.
“The Apprentice,” a movie about Trump’s early days as an aspiring real estate mogul in New York, won best motion picture at the awards, which honour the best in Canadian movies, television and digital media.
Despite its American subject matter, “The Apprentice” was a co-production between the U.S., Canada, Ireland and Denmark that was filmed mostly in Toronto.
Sebastian Stan, the Romanian-American actor who played a young Trump, won best lead performance in a drama film on Sunday, while his co-star, “Succession” actor Jeremy Strong, won best supporting performer on Saturday for portraying Trump’s mentor, lawyer Roy Cohn.
Altogether, “The Apprentice” won five Canadian Screen Awards, including prizes for hair and makeup — one less than leading film nominee “Universal Language.”
That Montreal and Winnipeg-set absurdist comedy, which had the most movie nominations at 13, took six prizes, including best direction for Matthew Rankin. The Winnipegger also shared the original screenplay prize, handed out on Saturday, with Pirouz Nemati and Ila Firouzabadi. Its other awards were for art direction, editing, casting and costume design.
The CSA for best lead performer in a comedy film went to another non-Canadian: Australian A-lister Cate Blanchett for “Rumours,” directed by Guy Maddin, and Evan and Galen Johnson.
Veteran Indigenous Canadian actor Graham Greene took best supporting performer in a comedy for “Seeds,” by first-time feature filmmaker Kaniehtiio Horne.
Sook-Yin Lee and Joanne Sarazin won best adapted screenplay for the semi-autobiographical, Toronto-set movie “Paying for It.”
On the TV side, Citytv’s “Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent” went into the CSAs with a leading 20 nominations but won just three prizes, including best drama series on Sunday night and, earlier, best writing for showrunner Tassie Cameron and best sound.
The awards for TV drama acting went to CBC police series “Allegiance,” with lead honours for Supinder Wraich (“Sort Of”) and supporting for veteran performer Enrico Colantoni (“English Teacher”). “Allegiance” also won for original music.
In the TV comedy category, Crave’s “Late Bloomer” and CTV’s “Children Ruin Everything” split most of the prizes. “Children,” which ended in February after four seasons, won best comedy series Sunday, as well as best supporting performer for Ennis Esmer and best original music on Saturday.
“Late Bloomer” took best writing for Jasmeet Raina, best casting, photography and picture editing in the earlier ceremony.
On Sunday, Andrew Phung of “Kim’s Convenience” fame won best lead performer in a TV comedy for his cancelled CBC series “Run the Burbs.”
“Canada’s Drag Race” won best reality competition program, one of its leading eight awards.
The docuseries “The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal” took seven prizes, as did the TV movie “Wynonna Earp: Vengeance.”
The Cogeco Fund Audience Choice Award went to the W Network-Hallmark Channel drama “The Way Home.”
See academy.ca for a full list of winners.
