2023 CUFF.Docs Awards

Audience Awards

Best Documentary Feature – IT'S ONLY LIFE AFTER ALL (Director Alexandria Bombach)
Runner-Up – BOIL ALERT (Directors Stevie Salas & James Burns)
Best Documentary Short – RUNNING RABBIT (Director Bret Robert Franics Kenworthy)

Jury Awards

Best Documentary Feature – QUEENDOM (Director Agniia Galdanova)
Honourable Mention – THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SHERE HITE (Director Nicole Newnham)

With a number of excellent films to choose from, the Jury felt that QUEENDOM presented a very timely story in an artistic and provocative manner. Gena's (and the filmmaker's) willingness to risk life and limb to present her art and her activism - no matter the cost - was truly inspiring, and her performance art is absolutely stunning  - visceral & otherworldly, yet beautiful. The film is intimate and engaging; tackling issues both simple and horribly complex...sometimes in the same moment. – Jury Statement

2023 Jurors 

Nicole Bazuin 
Nicole Bazuin is an award-winning film director. She directed the shorts THRIVING: A DISSOCIATED REVERIE (Sundance, CUFF ’23 Audience & Jury Award Winner), MODERN WHORE (SXSW, CUFF.Docs 2020) and LAST NIGHT AT THE STRIP CLUB (Hot Docs), and the series THIS ART WORKS! (CBC) and CLIMATE TALKS WITH KIDS (Bell TV).  Nicole co-created and photographed the book MODERN WHORE: A MEMOIR (Penguin Random House Canada). Nicole is slated to direct the upcoming feature film adaptation of the book, MODERN WHORE (Crave).

Guy Lavallee
Guy Lavallee is a music & television industry veteran, as well as the award-winning writer & director of several documentary films, including MAKING THE TOUR, GENERATION NEXT, RIDE ANOTHER DAY; TRIPLE THREAT; TRI HARD, and A MATTER OF PRIDE. His latest film, the acclaimed documentary FAMILY EVER AFTER, was a recipient of the 2022 Edmonton film prize, was nominated for 4 AMPIA "Rosie" awards and is streaming Canada-wide on CBC Gem. He is currently in production on the feature length music doc, GODS OF RADIO, a lifelong passion project that explores the ground-breaking era of the 1970's Canadian music scene. In addition to his filmmaking pursuits, Guy is a commercial producer for Bell Media, and is the Festival Director and Programmer for the Northwestfest International Documentary Festival, Rainbow Visions Film Festival, and Northwestfearfest Genre Film Festival. He is also one of the feature film programmers for the Calgary International Film Festival. 

Corey Lee
Corey Lee is a filmmaker working in drama and documentary. His feature LEGEND OF A WARRIOR premiered at Hot Docs and was released in theatres across Canada. Other non-fiction work includes RARE METTLE, THE HARDER I FIGHT, and US/THEM, a look at people working in harm reduction on the front lines of the opioid crisis. Scripted work consists of the digital series REALIZATION, the feature DEFINING EDWARD, and a number of award-winning short films. Corey has several projects in development, including the horror SAVAGE HELL OF THE BLACK MOON.