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A night recognizing the outstanding quality of talented Canadian costume designers; the 5th Annual CAFTCAD Awards
BY SIMONE J. SMITH
We were immersed into a murder mystery that threw us into the center of a brutal murder. It was up to us to examine the clues, evaluate the suspects, and find the thread that tied the case together. We spent the night unraveling each web of lies and clues to assist the hosts in solving the mystery. It could have been anyone.
Over the course of the evening, we continued to receive additional clues, and no one knew a thing until the murderer was revealed at the end of the night…
On Sunday March 5th, 2023, at The Aga Khan Museum, the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper was invited to attend the 5th Annual CAFTCAD Awards by The Canadian Alliance of Film and Television Costume Arts and Design Hosted by Actors Peter Keleghan & Samora Smallwood.
Canadian Screen Award Winner Peter Keleghan (Slings and Arrows, Murdoch Mysteries, etc.) and Samora Smallwood (Lifetime’s thriller Death She Wrote, OWN’s The Kings of Napa) did a tremendous job of setting the stage for an interactive murder mystery that the entire audience was actively engaged in.
It was a night to recognize and bring to the forefront the outstanding quality of talent Canadian costume designers and artisans provide across our screens. The CAFTCAD Awards celebrate craftsmanship in textile, art, short films, web series, television to international blockbusters. The night united the Canadian costume community, and recognized and rewarded their skills and talent.
It brought to the forefront the unique talents of the individuals and teams and their contributions to today’s stories. Several of the awards presented were sponsored by: IATSE 873, Nobis Inc., IATSE 891, and Berman & Co. Awards include Excellence in Crafts: Textiles, Building, Costume Illustration, and Special Effects Costume Building as well as Excellence in Costume Design: Web Series, Short Film, Indie Feature, TV Contemporary, TV Period, TV Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Film Contemporary, Film Period, Film Sci-Fi/Fantasy, TV International, and Film International.
Until that night, I was unaware of the work that goes into designing costumes for movies and shows. These individuals have to accentuate the: particular era, time of day, season and purpose a character is enduring. They also reveal the overall: feel, genre and style of the production itself.
This extensive work includes significant: researching, collating, designing, sewing, and purchasing materials, accents and fabrics to make a range of costumes that fit the overall design of the production at hand.
Costumes aren’t as straightforward in comparison to wearing everyday clothes. Some costumes need to be fitted and tailored to the person who is portraying a character. A tailored piece of clothing may look fabulous on one person, but horrific on another. Designers take the time they need to know who the characters really are, because the character designs the costume. It’s all storytelling.
It was amazing to see costumes from films we all know and love up close and personal. The mannequins appeared to be custom fit to accommodate the costumes themselves, so the clothes all kept their original dimensions.
I watched the award winners humbly accept their awards, each speaking to the power of design, and the importance of the CAFTCAD Awards. The prestigious award winners include:
Excellence in Illustration
Kevin Lau
Excellence in Craft Building
Sue Furlong
Geoff Hughes
Olena Fredorenko
Star Trek: Strange New World
Excellence in Craft Textiles
Anna Pantcheva
Star Trek. Strange New Worlds S1
Excellence in SPFX Building
Tamara Rigby-Funke
Sarah Blostein
Costume Design in Short Film
John Dunnett
Eli Roth’s Haunted House: Trick-VR- Treat
Costume Design in Web Series
Beatriz Arevalo
Costume Design in Indie Feature
Ginger Martini (Rosie)
Costume Design in TV West – Contemporary
Caroline Cranston
Snowpiercer
Costume Design in TV East – Contemporary
Luis Sequeira
Cabinet of Curiosity 104, The Outside
Costume Design Film – Contemporary
Laura DeLuca (Violent Night)
Costume Design in FILM – Period
Jessica Kalan
Carmen Thompson (Bones of Crows)
Costume Design in TV – Period
Luis Sequeira
Cabinet of Curiosity 106, Dreams in the Witch House
Costume Design in Film Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Emma Doyle (Slash/Back)
Costume Design in TV Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Bernadette Croft
The most important award of the night, the Nobis Industry Icon Award was presented to Louise Jobin, a pioneer in the community of customers in Quebec, Canada. From the beginning of her profession, she has actively participated in establishing the standards of the trade, helping to raise the bar for the entire profession as an AQTIS union president and spokesperson.
It was a lot of fun doing something different and being around a fantastic group of creative minds. I am looking forward to next year’s awards; I wonder what they will have planned for us this time.
Oh yes, the murderer ended up being…