Gold Winner Blackbird
Silver Winner The Disappeared
Bronze Winner Lowlife
Director Jason Buxton’s debut feature film Blackbird absolutely swept the festival circuit, and rightly so. Buxton’s powerful tale of bullying, miscommunication and the broken system of dealing with troubled teens evokes a strong response. Winning three awards at the 2012 Atlantic Film Festival, co-winner of the Best Canadian First Feature Film award at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival, two nominations at the 2013 Canadian Screen Awards—it’s no wonder that Blackbird was a shoo-in for your pick in the best film category. Grab the popcorn.