2021 Sifa nominees
(listed in alphabetical order)
Best Short Film
Naming Sponsor: SMPIA
By Faith, Denis, Directed by Jeremy Ratzlaff
Far From Me, Directed by Levi Mierau
Hard Reset…, Directed by Scott Daniel Johnson
Torch Narrows, Directed by Simon Garez
Via Karelia, Directed by Elian Mikkola
Best student Film
Naming Sponsor: University of Regina – Department of Film
Dirty Laundry, Directed by Florence Hwang
Look For Me, Directed by Adrienne Kaye
Needle-Working, Directed by Jillian Bader
Night Terrors, Directed by Bella Rosa Zubot Petrovitch
The Little House, Directed by Hayden Schutz
Best music video
Naming Sponsor: Creative Saskatchewan
Chew Quietly/Clean Slate - Megan Nash, Directed by Amy Mantyka
Constance - Spiritbox, Directed by Dylan Hryciuk
Crack in the Mirror - Flash Back, Directed by Wyatt Heiberg
Ready To Be Brave - Jeffrey Straker, Directed by Dylan Hryciuk
She’s like the Swallow - Dara Schindelka, Directed by Colin Hubick
Best PERFORMANCE
Naming Sponsor: Iron Door Productions
Bernadette Mullen - Far From Me
Georgina Lightning - Ghosts of Yesterday
Kody Farrow - Ready to Be Brave
Madeline Setzer - Ghosts of Yesterday
Sierra Haynes - By Faith, Denis
Best technical Achievement
Naming Sponsor: Java Post Productions
Hard Reset - Editing
Lift, Spur - Cinematography
Ready To Be Brave - Production Design
Sled Week - Cinematography
Torch Narrows - Cinematography
The SIFA, presented by the Saskatchewan Filmpool Cooperative, celebrates the best in Saskatchewan filmmaking. “The tenacity and spirit of independent filmmaking in our province, even during the trying times of the pandemic, is shown by the record number of submissions received this year, which included dramatic, documentary, and experimental films,” says Filmpool Executive Director Hagere Selam Zegeye-Gebrehiwot.
The nominees were selected by a jury of filmmakers from across Western Canada: Saskatoon Producer and Director Larry Bauman, the Executive Director of CineVic Society of Independent Filmmakers in Victoria, BC David Geiss, and Edmonton-based National Film Board Producer Chehala Leonard. The jurors were very impressed by the quality and range of the submissions, and found it very challenging to narrow their choices to five nominees per category.
2020 sifa nominees
Best Short Film Nominees
aen loo pawatamihk by Dianne Ouellette
The Antler by Jeffrey Altwasser & Jeremy Davis
Eden Paige - Save Me by Dylan Hryciuk
Eidolon by Mike Rollo
The Millionaire's Burger by Rob White
My Masterpiece by Gavin Baird
On Edge by Marzia Kamyabi
Best Student Film Nominees:
Sensory by Calic Tolentino
T R I B A L by DJ Carnegie
Best Feature Film Nominees:
The Caring Only Cry at Night by Gavin Baird
Nolan: Here Nor There by Wilfred Dieter & dustan j. hlady
Best Web Series Nominees:
Adventures in Painting by Greg Hargarten
Porous by Amber Goodwyn (Natural Sympathies)
Best Performance Nominees:
Charlee Bigknife - Nolan: Here Nor There
Ada Perez Hidalgo - The Caring Only Cry at Night
Chengis Javeri - The Caring Only Cry at Night
Braden Jon King - Nolan: Here Nor There
Bongani Musa - The Caring Only Cry at Night
Technical Achievement Nominees:
aen loo pawatamihk - Cinematography
aen loo pawatamihk - Sound Design
The Caring Only Cry at Night - Cinematography
Eidolon - Editing
My Masterpiece - Production Design
Porous - Production Design
2019 sifa nominees
Best Short Film Nominees
ahkâmêyimo nitânis (Keep Going My Daughter) - Candy Fox
The Diggers - George Hupka
Magdaleena - Elian Mikkola
Unfold - John Graham
Best Student Film Nominees:
A Man Replaced - Joel Tabak
Follow Leader - Scott Johnson
My World Is No Longer The World I Knew - Weiye Su
Prairie Dreams - DJ Carnegie
To Call My Own - Morgan Jones
Best Feature Film Nominees:
Audacity - Jeremy Cole Bastian
Begonia - Gavin Baird
Run Wolf, Run - Carli Robertson
Best Web Series Nominees:
Pieces: Camp - Sophie Kokott
Rock Bottom - Rick Anthony
Best Acting Nominees:
Sage Dent - Begonia
Kylie Jade - Slight
Aksa Korttila - Magdaleena
Trillian Reynoldson - Begonia
Andrew Valdez - Pagliacci
Technical Achievement Nominees:
Gavin Baird, Cinematography - Begonia
Dylan Crosby & Kyler Wilton, Editing - Good Morning
Morgan Jones, Creative Use of Imaging - To Call My Own
Elian Mikkola, Sound Design - Magdaleena
Ava Wild, Score - The Acreage & The Ambush
2018 sifa nominees
Best Short Film Nominees
A Focused Portrait of Hartley Smith - Kolby Kostyniuk
Greg Allen’s Supernatural Sasquatch - Jeremy Ratzlaff
Being - John Graham
The Lost Art of Inertia - Gerald Saul
Four in a Blanket - Gavin Baird
Farewell Transmission - Mike Rollo
Bad Poetry: Megan Nash - Aaron Sinclair
Best Student Film Nominees:
Beta Test - Joel Makar and Kenton Evenson
Sir Bailey - Matt Ripplinger
Moonshine Acres - Joel Kereluke
Der Jude - Spencer Zimmerman
Best Feature Film Nominees:
The Big Gust! - Gavin BairdSuperGrid - Hugh Patterson and Lowell DeanBook of Trespasses - Jared Berry, Gareth Nicol and Larry ParsonsThe Matter of Ronnie Goldblatt - Ian GoldbergThe Tipping Point - Jacob Stebner
Best Acting Nominees:
Matthew Burgess - Book of Trespasses
Trillian Reynoldson - The Big Gust!
Josh Strait - Beta Test
Mooky Cornish - 5 O'Clock
Andrew Valdez - Merry What?
Leo Fafard - SuperGrid
Technical Achievement Nominees:
Michael Jari Davidson, Cinematography - SuperGrid
Matt Ripplinger, Film Manipulation - Sir Bailey
Chencheng Pu, Visual Effects - Beta Test
Andrea-Jane Cornell, Sound Design - Farewell Transmission
Gavin Baird, Production Design - Four in a Blanket
Gerald Saul, Editing - The Lost Art of Inertia
Tiess McKenzie, Musical Score - A Focused Portrait of Hartley Smith
2017 sifa nominees
Best Short Film Nominees:
Gas Can - Mattias Graham
The Flats - Ian Campbell
From Up North - Trudy Stewart
Eyes of Sorrow Moon - Gerald Saul
Under the Same Sky - Sylvia Ziemann
Best Student Film Nominees:
A Moment Gone By - Timothy Merasty
Doktor Ripp - Matthew Ripplinger
Separate Beds - Layton Burton
Home Sewn - Morgan Jones
Evelyn & I - Weiye Su
Best Feature Film Nominees:
Talent - Lucas Frison
Josi Victoria: A Complicated Masquerade - Ken Dalgarno
Rigger - Dianne Ouellette
Best Acting Nominees:
Natalie Lazarou - Talent
Mark Claxton - Doktor Ripp
Anna Mazurik - The Tinwife
Logan Vanghel - Heistery
Shawn Koch - Heistery
Technical Achievement Nominees:
Layton Burton, Cinematography - Talent
Joel Tabak, Cinematography - Doktor Ripp
Devin McAdam, Cinematography - The Tinwife
Travis Neufeld, Production Design - The Tinwife
Kevin Drysdale, Editing - Separate Beds
Layton Burton, Production Design - Separate Beds
Ian Campbell, Production Design - The Flats
2016 sifa nominees
Best Short Film Nominees:
Please Rate Your Experience - Jeremy Ratzlaff
Trio - John Graham
Der Glockner - Chrystene Ells and Berny Hi
Ilsa the Far Seer - Ian Campbell
Lookout - Kyath Battie
Best Student Film Nominees:
It’s Good for You! - An An
Dreamers - Kolby Kostyniuk
SAARI - Ella Mikkola
Time Frame - Joel Kereluke
Best Feature Film Nominees:
The Sabbatical - Brian Stockton
VOUS ETES ICI - Mark Wihak
The Land of Rock and Gold - Daniel Redenbach and Janine Windolph
Patient 62 - Rick Anthony
Voice from the Wilderness - Jason Britski
Basic Human Needs - Matt Yim
Best Acting Nominees:
Laura Abramsen - Basic Human Needs
Charity Bradfield - The Land of Rock and Gold
James Whittingham - The Sabbatical
Ron Anderson - Dreamers
Abby Thiessen - Stigma
Best Technical Achievement:
Jason Cullimore, Score - Der Glockner
Ella Mikkola, Picture and Sound Editing - SAARI
Pulsewidth, Score - The Land of Rock and Gold
Berny Hi, Director of Photography - Please Rate Your Experience
