Measuring up against the likes of Sophie Dupuis‘ just released sophomore film (a Val-d’Or set dramatic thriller) Souterrain, it’s Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette‘s third feature (a Chicoutimi set coming-of-ager) La déesse des mouches à feu (a 2020 Berlin Film Festival winner) that claimed the top prize at this year’s Gala Québec Cinéma aka Prix Iris Awards. Barbeau-Lavalette’s won Best Film, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (Caroline Néron) and Newcomer of the Year (Kelly Depeault) and Best Editor Stéphane Lafleur (Tu dors Nicole helmer).
Souterrain did nab Dupuis the Best Screenplay award, Best Sound, and a much deserving best Supporting Actor for Théodore Pellerin. Best Actress went to Émilie Bierre for Jeanne Leblanc’s Les nôtres (which will be distributed by Oscilloscope Films) – she beat out the likes of Margaret Qualley for My Salinger Year and Sarah Sutherland for Like a House on Fire by Jesse Klein – a former writer here at IONCINEMA.com. Best Actor went to Sébastien Ricard for Le club Vinland.
