Tonya Williams and J Stevens will be awarded the TFCA Luminary Award and Jay Scott Prize for an Emerging Artist, and Alexander Mooney the Telefilm Canada Emerging Critic Award, respectively | Photos: Alan Weissman; Spindle Films; Alex Mooney

Toronto Film Critics Honour Tonya Williams, J Stevens, Alex Mooney

Critics announce Company 3 Luminary Award, Jay Scott Prize, and Telefilm Canada Emerging Critic Award

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Three members of the Canadian film scene will be recognized by the Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA). Tonya Williams, founder and executive director of the Reelworld Film Festival and Reelworld Screen Institute, will receive the 2024 Company 3 Luminary Award. The award recognizes a Canadian industry figure who has made a substantial and outstanding contribution to the advancement and/or history of Canadian cinema. (Full disclosure: myself and several POV contributors are TFCA members.)

Williams began her career as an actress, working on television series such as The Polka Dot Door, Street Legal, Hill Street Blues, and a recurring role on The Young and the Restless. However, recognizing that the challenges she faced as a Black actor seeking substantial work were not unique, Williams founded the Reelworld Film Festival in 2000 with a mission to promote the works of racially diverse professionals. That mandate led to the creation of the Reelworld Foundation (now called Reelworld Screen Institute), which has produced opportunities for professional development. For more than 25 years, Williams has played a starring role in the push for diversity, equity, and inclusion in Canadian film and television, touching many careers and advocating in all corners of the industry.

The TFCA also named the Calgary-born J Stevens the winner of the 2024 Jay Scott Prize. Stevens directed, produced, shot, and co-wrote their first feature Really Happy Someday, which premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. The film is a moving account of a stage musical performer regaining his voice after his transition. Really Happy Someday developed out of a collaborative relationship with star/co-writer Breton Lalama and this collective spirit reflects Stevens’ efforts to tell stories that represent a diverse spectrum of 2SLGBTQ+ experiences in films and series. It also reflects Stevens’ work with the Spindle Films Foundation, which supports emerging trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse creatives in the screen sector by providing mentorship and development opportunities.

Finally, the TFCA honoured up-and-coming Toronto-based film critic Alex Mooney with the Telefilm Canada Emerging Critic Award. Mooney’s work has appeared in Documentary Magazine, MUBI Notebook, Exclaim!, and In the Mood Magazine. The Telefilm Canada Emerging Critic award comes with a cash prize of $1,000, courtesy of Telefilm Canada.

These awards will be presented along with the prestigious Rogers Best Canadian Film and Rogers Best Canadian Documentary on Monday, February 24, 2025, at a gala held at Toronto’s Omni King Edward Hotel, hosted by acclaimed Canadian actress Amanda Brugel (Orphan Black, The Handmaid’s Tale). The nominees for Rogers Best Canadian Film are Rumours, directed by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson; Shepherds, directed by Sophie Deraspe; and Universal Language, directed by Matthew Rankin. The nominees for Rogers Best Canadian Documentary are Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story, directed by Michael Mabbott and Lucah Rosenberg-Lee; Yintah, directed by Michael Toledano, Jennifer Wickham, and Brenda Michell; and Your Tomorrow, directed by Ali Weinstein. Both awards carry a cash prize of $50,000, courtesy of Rogers Communications. The two runners up in each category will receive $5,000.

Previous winners for the Company 3 Luminary Award include Charles Officer, Steve Gravestock, and David Cronenberg. The Jay Scott Prize was previously award to rising stars such as Arianne Louise-Seize, Carol Nguyen, and Bretten Hannam. Telefilm Canada Emerging Critic Award winners have included Winnie Wang, Rachel Ho, and Victor Stiff.

Pat Mullen is the publisher of POV Magazine. He holds a Master’s in Film Studies from Carleton University where his research focused on adaptation and Canadian cinema. Pat has also contributed to outlets including The Canadian Encyclopedia, Paste, That Shelf, Sharp, Xtra, and Complex. He is the vice president of the Toronto Film Critics Association and an international voter for the Golden Globe Awards.

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