Whistler Film Festival (WFF) will shine a spotlight on Colm Feore, Kelly McCormack, Gabriel Byrne, Rémy Girard and Tzi Ma with films in the festival through its popular signature series of talent talks that recognize distinguished artists and rising stars of our time with an intimate interview and award.
American-Canadian actor Colm Feore will receive the Canadian Icon Award, along with SUGAR DADDY writer and co-star Kelly McCormack, who will receive the One to Watch Award. Irish actor and filmmaker Gabriel Byrne, featured in the National Festival VOD Premiere of THE DEATH OF A LADIES MAN, will receive the Maverick Award; beloved Quebec actor Rémy Gerard, in the English Canadian Premiere of YOU WILL REMEMBER ME (TU TE SOUVIENDRAS DE MOI), will receive the Career Achievement Award; and Hong Kong-American actor Tzi Ma, attending the fest with the Canadian Premiere of A SHOT THROUGH THE WALL, will receive the Trailblazer Award.
“From Quebec’s beloved Rémy Girard and international superstar Gabriel Byrne to the talented cast members of SUGAR DADDY, Colm Feore and Kelly McCormack, and beloved Hong Kong-American actor Tzi Ma, this year’s Signature Series honorees are redoubtable talents at different stages in their exciting careers,” said Paul Gratton, WFF Director of Programming. “We are excited to be honoring this who’s who of gifted and talented performers this year and celebrate their career achievements with special online events and deserving awards.”
WFF’s online festival will debut with the World Premiere of SUGAR DADDY, an eye-opening look at an aspiring musician who agrees to provide dinner companionship to older men for money, written by and starring Kelly McCormack and directed by Wendy Morgan. Colm Feore co-stars in this tour-de-force showcase for McCormack. WFF will celebrate Feore and McCormack with an online Artist Spotlight event on December 2, following the film’s premiere on December 1.
American-Canadian actor Colm Feore OC is a 13-year veteran of the Stratford Festival and is best known for his Gemini-winning turn as Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in the television miniseries Trudeau, and his performance as Glenn Gould in Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, as well as roles such as Detective Martin Ward in BON COP, BAD COP, Lord Marshal Zhylaw in THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK, Pope Julius II on The Borgias, Laufey in THOR, First Gentleman Henry Taylor on 24, General Ted Brockhart on House of Cards, Declan Gallard on 21 Thunder, Sir Reginald Hargreeves in The Umbrella Academy and Wernher von Braun in For All Mankind. He is a Prix Iris and Screen Actors Guild Award winner and a Genie Award nominee.
Vancouver born and raised, Kelly McCormack is a Canadian actor, filmmaker, writer, director and producer. McCormack has worked in film, television, and on stage, and is the Executive Director of her production company Floyder Films. She is best known for her portrayal of Zeph in the Syfy science fiction television series Killjoys and Betty Anne on Hulu series Letterkenny and is slated to star in the forthcoming Amazon series, A League of Their Own.
WFF will also shine the spotlight on Gabriel Byrne, an Irish actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter and cultural ambassador, with an online Artist Spotlight event and will honor him with a Maverick Award. Byrne stars in the Canadian/Irish co-production and National Festival VOD Premiere of DEATH OF A LADIES’ MAN as Samuel O’Shea, who loses his mind to the music of Leonard Cohen, directed by WFF alumnus Matt Bissonnette and premiering at WFF on December 9.
WFF will celebrate beloved Quebec actor Rémy Girard with a Career Achievement Award. He will be spotlighted in an interview on December 11 following the Western Canadian Premiere of Eric Tessier’s YOU WILL REMEMBER ME (TU TE SOUVIENDRAS DE MOI) which features a career-best performance for Girard as a former professor dealing with Alzheimer’s.
WFF will also shine the spotlight on Hong Kong-American actor Tzi Ma, attending with the Canadian Premiere of A SHOT THROUGH THE WALL on December 13, and honor him with the Trailblazer Award.