'Loyalties' big AMPIA winner

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TANTOO SHINES!

Cardinal wins best actress in Alberta

It was the one night of the year when only the brightest of stars shine. It was March 21, a time when the brilliance of one particular star, Tantoo Cardinal, shone the brightest.

The occasion was the 13th Annual AMPIA Film and Television Awards at the Chateau Lacombe Hotel in downtown Edmonton. A capacity crowd thronged the room filled with all sorts of people who have been instrumental in film production over the past year. There were directors, producers, cameramen, soundmen, editors, actors, actresses and a host of others important to film industry.

It was a crowd that wined, dined and danced the night away. All were arrayed in their finest threads. Many wore tuxedos or long evening gowns. They had come to observe, support, mingle with and root for their fellow colleagues.

It was the one and only time of the entire year that most had worked towards and they were not to be denied. This was the "biggie". This was the annual Alberta Motion Picture Industries Association awards ceremony.

As predicted by most film critics and individuals in the Alberta film industry, Loyalties swept the awards including the best actress (Tantoo Cardinal) and best film of the festival.

Loyalties, a film about "burying the past in a brave new world," has surfaced as the Alberta film of the year. Filmed on location at Lac La Biche, it is the story about the close friendship that develops between a Metis woman (Cardinal) and an Englishman's wife (Susan Wooldridge).

Produced and directed by Anne Wheeler and written by Sharon Riis, Loyalties captured five major categories at the AMPIA awards.

When first premiered last September in Edmonton, it was hailed by the critics as, "amazingly accomplished . . . intelligent, . . . remarkable. . . powerful. . . .emotionally potent. .. winning performances." We, at Windspeaker, had also predicted great things for the movie.

In addition to best actress and film, it also won for best director, script and drama over 30 minutes. As the evening rolled along, the master of ceremonies got to the major categories of awards.

Methodically, the emcee announced the winners, category by category. Between the awards, short previews of each film were shown. Additional entertainment was Alberta talent, Tim Feehan, who sang two songs.

Finally, the big moment arrived. The biggest and best had been saved for the last-best actor, actress and film. Best actor was Jay Smith in "A Sick Call;" best actress to Cardinal for "Loyalties" and best film, also, to "Loyalties".

When the best performance by an actress was announced, it was Cardinal who mounted the stage area, accepted her award and cradled it in her hands. It was a bubbling, radian t and speechless Cardinal. It was the shining moment of glory for the brightest star of the night.

"This really feels good, it was an honor to work on this," she said. Cardinal extended her appreciation to Anne Wheeler and Sharon Riis as well as the entire crew and cast. "The people here in the film industry in Alberta," she said, "have really been an inspiration."

Cardinal then thanked her family and friends who, she said, told her, "don't give up; I'm glad that I didn't," she added. With that concluding statement, the house came down. The applause was thunderous. It led to a standing ovation which acknowledged the talented performance of Cardinal. It was the only standing ovation of the evening. For her, it was the crowning glory, a time that made all her work worthwhile.

The final award to be announced was for best film of the festival. It, too, went to Loyalties and Cardinal returned to the stage to accept it on behalf of the film.

In other categories, "Beyond the Bend of the River" received the Special Jury Award. Produced by Rossi Cameron from CBC, this film had major contributions from Windspeaker's Rocky Woodward, who had been involved in the script writing as well as performing numerous other related tasks that helpe the movie capture an award. The documentary was about the life of singer, Harry Rusk, who played himself in the film.

Althoug it did not win an award, "Pikuni: A Sovereign Nation" (about the Peigan Reserve) was a nominee and a finalist for best educational film. Still another film with a Native theme was that of "Long Lance." This move received six awards and beat out "Music of the Metis" by CBC's Fred Voss.

In all, it was a banner year for Native movies with a Native theme to them.