CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2023 AWARD WINNERS
THE BEATING HEART AWARD
The Beating Heart Award recognizes a filmmaker from an equity-seeking group to help support these important voices in film. Women, non-binary, LGBTQ, persons of colour or Indigenous filmmakers are eligible for this award. The recipient is voted on by CLiFF Board members and the award includes a $100.00 CAD prize.
Whitewash looks at the pressure felt amongst Iranian immigrants in Canada to change their given names to Western names to increase their chance of getting a job, and the consequences that develop due to this act of cultural and identity erasure.
The film examines the extent of discrimination against immigrants and asks how race can contribute to the rates of unemployment for some communities in Toronto and what it will take to create equality in the workplace.
LABOURSTART AWARD FOR WORKING CLASS SOLIDARITY
2020 was the first year we awarded the LabourStart Award for Working Class Solidarity and it recognizes the festival film that speaks the most to building worker-to-worker global solidarity. This award is funded by LabourStart and the recipient is voted on by the global executive of LabourStart. The award includes a $100 CAD prize.
In the second largest school district in the United States, in Los Angeles, California, 98% of teachers vote to authorize a strike. Watch as one of the largest educator strikes in modern U.S. history unfolds in real-time, highlighting the stories and leadership of some of the women who led it, from union leaders to classroom teachers.
From strike vote to contract vote, When We Fight goes behind the picket lines, documenting how and why teachers strike.
BEST CANADIAN FILM
The Best Canadian Film award recognizes the Canadian film which best meets CLiFF’s purpose of telling stories of workers, unionized and non-unionized, thorough film by sharing the voice of those who seek justice on the job and dignity in the workplace. This year’s award was voted on by Canadian festival attendees. This award includes a $100 CAD prize. The two co-winners of the 2021 Best Canadian Film are:
Whitewash looks at the pressure felt amongst Iranian immigrants in Canada to change their given names to Western names to increase their chance of getting a job, and the consequences that develop due to this act of cultural and identity erasure.
The film examines the extent of discrimination against immigrants and asks how race can contribute to the rates of unemployment for some communities in Toronto and what it will take to create equality in the workplace.
BEST-IN-FESTIVAL AWARD
The CLiFF Best-in-Festival Award is the film judged by CLiFF Board members to be the best in the festival. This award carries with it a $100 CAD prize.
In the second largest school district in the United States, in Los Angeles, California, 98% of teachers vote to authorize a strike. Watch as one of the largest educator strikes in modern U.S. history unfolds in real-time, highlighting the stories and leadership of some of the women who led it, from union leaders to classroom teachers.
From strike vote to contract vote, When We Fight goes behind the picket lines, documenting how and why teachers strike.
