‘Centigrade’ and Colin Cunnigham Roar at the Leo Awards

The Leo for best director in a short drama went to Colin Cunningham. (Photo by Julia Pelish)

Colin Cunningham was born on August 20, 1967. That makes him a Leo. Fitting, because the film he wrote, directed and starred in earned three statues bearing the name of his Zodiac sign on Friday night. Cunningham came away with one of the most-coveted prizes on the first night of the Leo Awards when he won for Best Direction in a Short Drama for his thriller “Centigrade”.

The victory continued an incredible trend for the picture. “Centigrade” qualified for Oscar consideration earlier this year when it won the Best Narrative Short award at the Cinequest Film Festival, an Academy Awards-sanctioned event. It has also been accepted for screening at such prestigious events as the Cannes Short Film Corner, the Toronto Film Festival and Jackson Hole Film Festival.

This weekend, it’s up for seven Leos, including two that will be presented on Saturday night following a red-carpet celebration at the Westin in Coal Harbour. Cunningham will be up for Best Performance by a Male in a Short Drama and “Centigrade” is nominated for Best Short Drama. On Friday, the film also won for Best Make-up (Jane Dancose) and Best Overall Sound in a Short Drama (Real Gauvreau).

“I’m humbled and I have to say this city has been incredibly generous to me,” Cunningham said when he accepted the director’s prize, which was the penultimate award of the evening.

A veteran of the Vancouver acting scene, Cunningham is relishing his success. “It feels fantastic. You work so hard, you bust your ass, and it’s nice to be recognized,” the native of California said.

“Centigrade”, which also stars producer Madison Graie, is about a man trapped in a trailer and struggling to get out. It was written 17 years ago but “literally sat in a box” collecting dust until Graie suggested last year that she and Cunningham, her long-time collaborator, dig it up.

“You’re basically playing a caged animal, so it was hard to go there as an actor but also to direct the material as we went along was very, very hard to do. But it also saved us a lot of time because I didn’t have to give anyone direction. I knew what needed to be done in telling the story, so that sped up the number of camera shots,” Cunnigham said of his directorial debut.

While “Centigrade” dominated the short drama category at the awards show that celebrates the British Columbia film industry, “Tin Man – Night 1” captured six Leos for dramatic series and the documentary “The Suicide Tourist” won five.

Here’s a complete list of winners from the first night of the 10th annual Leo Awards on Friday (number of awards won in parantheses):

Short Drama
Centigrade (3) – Direction, Make-up, Overall Sound
Dog Boy (2) – Musical Score, Costume Design
The Porcelain Man (2) – Production Design, Cinematography
Kodiak (1) – Picture Editing
Hirsute (1) – Sound Editing
Humongous (1) – Visual Effects
Stan Maynard’s Best Day Ever (1) – Screenwriting

Dramatic Series
Tin Man – Night 1 (6) – Production Design, Make-up, Sound Editing, Overall Sound, Costume Design, Visual Effects
Intelligence (1) – Picture Editing

Music, Comedy or Variety Program or Series
Road Hockey Rumble (2) – Picture Editing, Screenwriting
About a Girl (1) – Musical Score
Corner Gas (1) – Direction

Documentary
The Suicide Tourist (5) – Direction, Picture Editing, Overall Sound, Cinematography, Musical Score
Hope (1) – Sound Editing
She’s a Boy I Knew (1) – Screenwriting

Feature Length Drama
In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2) – Production Design, Costume Design
Nightwatching (2) – Best Sound Editing, Best Overall Sound
Elijah (1) – Best Picture Editing
Scourge (1) – Visual Effects

Animation Program or Series
Jibber Jabber (3) – Musical Score, Overall Sound, Screenwriting
Storm Hawks (1) – Direction/Storyboarding

Information or Lifestyle Series
Shimmy (1) – Cinematography
Glutton for Punishment (1) – Direction

Best Music Video
Switch by Joey Styles