Straight fave Doppelgänger Paul wins best screenplay Leo

A favourite among some Georgia Straight staffers, Doppelgänger Paul was given the Best Screenwriting honours during the first of two Leo Awards ceremonies on Friday night (May 25).

Kris Elgstrand banged out the script in a manic episode while another of his projects was hung up in development, telling the Straight last year that he thought it “was the worst thing I’d ever written.” Like his filmmaking partner Dylan Akio Smith (and us), Leo has lodged a strong statement to the contrary.

Other notable winners at the celebration awards ceremony, held at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, included Sabrina Pitre, who took the Best Picture Editing prize for her work on Leo favourite Sisters&Brothers, a Best Screenwriting in a Documentary Program nod for People of a Feather, and two trophies—Best Cinematography and Best Sound Editing in a Documentary Program—for 40 Days at Base Camp (described by the Straight’s Janet Smith as “visually stunning”).

I Am Bruce Lee took three awards, for Best Picture Editing and Best Musical Score in a Documentary Program, plus a Best Direction nod for Pete McCormack, while Marv Newland added to the Achievement Award he was given by the Vancouver Film Critics Circle in January with a Leo for Best Direction in an Animation Program (shared with Kunal Sen) for the dazzling CMYK.

Dan Mangan’s “Rows of Houses”, meanwhile, received the Leo for Best Music Video. The full list of winners is here. The Leos continue tonight (May 26) with the red carpet and Gala Awards Ceremony at the Fairmont.