I’m writing this on Friday night, the 30th, and awards have already been given out. That’s because this event actually takes place over multiple days, considering broadcast journalism, TV, and, finally, feature film. Honestly, there are so many awards it’s hard to keep track of them all.

I get why the Canadian Screen Awards are important to the industry. It’s nice to be recognized by your peers. Good to see Nova Scotian filmmaker Jason Buxton get a nod for Best Adapted Screenplay for Sharp Corner, and his editor Jorge Weisz also is nominated. Taylor Olson is nominated for Performance in a Leading Role, Comedy, for Look At Me, though that is a peculiar category for that film — the picture is a potent and raw semi-autobiographical drama, not a lot of laughs. Either way, I’ll be cheering for the local folks while grousing a little that more Atlantic Canadian films and creatives didn’t get recognized, and I can live with the fact I inevitably sound like a parochial rube when I do.

Of the nominees this year, I’m happy to note that between Cineplex and Carbon Arc Cinema, where I volunteer, four of the six nominees for Best Motion Picture have had a theatrical screening in Halifax. That’s a better ratio than a lot of years. If you scroll further down the list of nominees the titles get more obscure, though clearly some of these films are from Quebec, and while our francophone neighbours have a robust industry we see so few of them here. That’s a real shame.

I’d also suggest that some of the nominees are being recognized more for their potential than what they’ve achieved thus far, which is a legit way to go. I hope these nominations mean these filmmakers get to make another movie, and the nominees amongst the crew get to have careers. Otherwise what use are the Canadian Screen Awards?

You can watch the awards on Sunday evening on CBC TV and CBC Gem.