Last week, Canadian stories had their moment to shine. On May 31, comedian Mae Martin hosted The Canadian Screen Awards, recognizing the best of our country’s film, TV, and digital media. 

The awards honoured writers, filmmakers, performers and so many other talented creatives working hard to create incredible homegrown stories. The CSAs are always a showcase of the diverse, powerful, and innovative stories being told in Canada, and a reminder to support the amazing content being made close to home!

The big winner of the evening was Matt Johnson’s film BlackBerry, which received a record 14 Canadian Screen Awards.

We were also thrilled to see Devery Jacobs, our May Artist of the Month, presented with the Radius Award alongside Lamar Johnson in recognition of her Indigenous and queer rights activism.  

Read on to see the films and TV shows that won big at the Canadian Screen Awards, interviews SheDoesTheCity has done with the cast and creators, and where you can watch these award-winning titles.

Little Bird

Little Bird is a breathtaking, heartbreaking limited series about the irreparable harm of the Sixties Scoop following Bezhig Little Bird, who longs for the family she lost when she was forcibly removed from her home on a reservation in Saskatchewan. Little Bird took home an incredible 13 awards, the most of any TV program at this year’s CSAs, including Best Drama Series, Best Direction – Drama Series, Best Supporting Performer – Drama Series, and Best Lead Performer – Drama Series.

“It is about identity and belonging, the longing to fit in, the yearning to know the truth about the past as a way to move forward…it’s about acceptance and love and redefining what it means to be a family,” co-creator Jennifer Podemski told us. Read our full interview with Podemski here.

Watch Little Bird on Crave. 

Sort Of

Sort Of follows gender-fluid millennial Sabi Mehboob (Bilal Baig) as they straddle various identities, from sexy bartender at an LGBTQ bar, to the youngest child in a large Pakistani family, to the de facto parent of a downtown hipster family. The third and final season of the series aired last year, and received awards at the CSAs for Best Ensemble Performance, Comedy and Best Direction, Comedy.

“Sort Of will be remembered for being fiercely original, QUEER AF, funny, dark and unapologetically Canadian,” says Amanda Cordner, who plays 7ven. Read our full interview with cast members from Sort Of Season 3.

Watch Sort Of on CBC Gem.

Bria Mack Gets a Life

University graduate Bria navigates microaggressions in the workforce as the only Black person in an all-white accounting department, coping with the help of her imaginary hype girl, Black Attack, who pops up in moments of stress with often questionable advice. Bria Mack Gets a Life won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Comedy Series.

“I wanted to offer catharsis through humour,” says creator Sasha Leigh Henry. “Two big areas that we like to challenge and play with throughout the show are what’s it like to be a young Black woman experiencing the world right now, and then also what it’s like to be a young person in a topsy turvy world that’s ever-changing.” Read our full feature on the series here.

Watch Bria Mack Gets a Life on Crave.

The Queen of My Dreams

Spanning 30 years, 3 generations of women, and 2 continents, The Queen of My Dreams is an epic, sweeping, Bollywood-inspired dramedy that has so much to say about mother-daughter relationships, gender and sexuality, grief, and immigration. Amrit Kaur gives an incredible performance in both of her roles in the film, and took home the CSA for Performance in a Leading Role, Drama.

“There’s a lot of fantasy in the film, but I think that moment of hope for an awesome friendship that might happen between mother and daughter—I think that’s the greatest fantasy,” says Fawzia Mirza. We had an enriching conversation with Mirza about the film earlier this year—read it here.

Watch The Queen of My Dreams in select Canadian theatres and at festivals around the world. 

The Drop

Dynamic duo and broke Gen Z Torontonians Polly and Zara enter the business of professional line-waiting in this quirky and chaotic web series full of satire, edgy humour and timely social commentary. The Drop took home awards for Best Lead Performance, Web Program or Series (Aisha Evelyna) and Best Supporting Performance, Web Program or Series (Aurora Browne).

“The characters are depressed by the unstoppable force of capitalism (being Gen Zs with no prospect of stability), while also indulging in it full force.” Read our full Q&A with co-creators Dani Pagliarello and Aisha Evelyna.

Watch The Drop on YouTube.

How to Fail as a Popstar

Based on Vivek Shraya’s lifelong dream of becoming a popstar, this web series tells the stories of dreams that don’t come true. The series features dazzling original songs from Shraya and plenty of pop music references. How To Fail as a Popstar was awarded Best Web Program or Series, Fiction and Best Writing, Web Program or Series.

“I hope people will think a little bit more about their own failed dreams and honouring them,” says Shraya. “I hope that it allows people the space to mourn.” Our full interview with Shraya!

Watch How to Fail as a Popstar on CBC Gem.

In Flames

This haunting horror film set in Pakistan is a thrilling commentary on the terror of being a woman in an oppressive, patriarchal society. In Flames won The John Dunning Best First Feature Film Award at the CSAs.

We interviewed producer Anam Abbas ahead of the film’s premiere at TIFF 2023, and she said she wishes that the story “inspires hope” and “allows conversations about power relations within families that are not often addressed.” More from Abbas here.

In Flames is available to rent or buy on Apple TV, Google Play, and Amazon Prime.

See the full list of winners at the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards here.