Bone Cage, the powerful debut feature by multi-talented Halifax filmmaker Taylor Olson, clearly touched a nerve with viewers at last week’s online edition of FIN Atlantic International Film Festival, earning four FIN Stream Audience Choice Awards.
Based on the play by Catherine Banks and produced by Melani Wood, Bone Cage stars Olson — who also adapted the screenplay — as Jamie, a Nova Scotia forestry worker who is conflicted about his role in the clearcutting of the wilderness and its effect on local wildlife. His increasing anxiety and desire to leave makes it harder for him to relate to those around him, including his friends and his fiancee Krista (Ursula Calder).
Bone Cage won in all of its eligible categories, picking up the Gordon Parsons Award for Best Atlantic Feature, best Atlantic director and the Michael Weir Award for Best Atlantic Screenwriting for Olson, and best Atlantic cinematographer for Kevin A. Fraser.
Olson also picked up an additional FIN Stream Audience Choice Award for best Atlantic short, for his 12-minute short film Inceldom, or why are the angry men angry.
The best Atlantic documentary award went to Darrell Varga’s Bread in the Bones, an insightful and enlightening look at our relationship with one of the world’s most common food staples, and Kaila Bolton’s Queen of Chaos won best Atlantic short documentary for its portrait of a Therese, a woman who needs to declutter her apartment and her life.
Monday’s FIN Atlantic International Film Festival announcement also included the reveal of its 2020 Script Development program winner. After the FIN Script Pitch event, Scott Jones’ screenplay for It’s the Fear That Keeps Me Awake will be further guided toward the screen with the help of a $10,000 development prize made available through the Harold Greenberg Fund.
Honourable mention for the program, also sponsored by the RBG Emerging Artists Project and Telefilm Canada, was awarded to Tracey Lavigne’s script for Glitter.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, FIN programming was moved to streaming online for its run from Sept. 17 - 24. The availability of most FIN Stream programming was later extended to Sunday, Sept. 27 when the approach of hurricane Teddy threatened to cut the event short for ticket and pass holders who might lose power.
Despite the loss of in-person screenings and gatherings, the streaming aspect meant that for the first time the festival’s offerings were available to viewers in all four Atlantic Canadian provinces.
