Award Ceremony Tickets
(available as of May 23, 2024)

NOMFA 2024 NOMINEES

Alexithymia, Collin Clowes
(Thunder Bay)

Collin Clowes is an independent Singer/Songwriter & Producer from Thunder Bay. His music consists of an indie/folk pop sound with songwriting that reflects on beautiful yet heartbreaking, personal stories. After attending a Songwriting & Performance arts Program in Toronto, Collin built his own studio & began his musical journey.

Here and Now, Aysanabee
(Sandy Lake First Nation)

Oji-Cree artist, Aysanabee, has travelled an impressive distance from unsigned artist to internationally touring breakout. The first Indigenous artist to reach #1 on Canadian Alt-Rock Charts, his debut JUNO-nominated album Watin was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize. With Here and Now, he embarks on a new sonic path.

New Occasion, Nicholas Cangiano
(North Bay)

Nicholas Cangiano is a Montreal-based multi-instrumentalist from North Bay who’s bringing soul back into pop music. Cangiano uses his savvy for several instruments – most notably guitar, bass, and keys – to blend influences of classic funk and soul with modern pop and rock together into fresh, infectious productions.

Oblivion, Evan Redsky
(Mississaugi First Nation)

Evan Redsky is a songwriter, hailing from the First Nations Reserve of Mississaugi First Nation. His latest offering, Oblivion, seamlessly weaves traditional storytelling, delicate nuance, and poignant commentary on the human condition into a cathartic collection of highway-song vignettes.

Simply, The Ape-ettes
(Greater Sudbury)

The Ape-ettes are a garage-pop trio comprised of long-time friends, Andrée, Melanie and Julie. Formed in Andrée’s basement, these girls have the gift of pumping out infectious tunes with their spirited less-is-more approach.

Award Sponsored by Creator's Choice

NOMFA 2024 NOMINEES

Dustin Goodall, Deconstructed by Handsome Sandwich
(Sault Ste. Marie)

Dustin Goodall has been recording music in Sault Ste. Marie for over 10 years now, steadily building up a world-class studio in the Sault's downtown core. He channels his passion into enabling artists he works with to be their best selves.

Dustin Goodall, ALL IN by The Northwest
(Sault Ste. Marie)

Matt Wiewel, Surely Travel by Status/Non-Status
(Greater Sudbury)

With nearly fifteen years of diverse production experience, Wiewel has been able to finely craft his skills as an audio engineer, producer, and musician. This experience combined with an understanding of musical and electrical theory has provided Wiewel with the ability to blend the technical and creative in unique ways.

Matt Wiewel, Silver Hands / Diamond Teeth by Bad Actors
(Greater Sudbury)

Patrick Dal Cin, “Claire” by Knkm
(Sault Ste. Marie)

From Sault Ste. Marie, Patrick Dal Cin is an audio professional across the music and film industries.  He co-produced a top 20 Canadian iTunes charting EP with artist POESY and his audio can be heard on film & TV productions such as The Void and Letterkenny. He is currently a member of Knkm.

Award Sponsored by Exclaim!

David Dino White, “Search Party” by David Dino White
(North Bay)

Since 2014, North Bay local David Dino White has been writing, producing, and touring his music in locations all throughout Canada. Motivated by story telling and his love of guitar, White's collected experience shines through on his latest release, 'Staycation' - A massive, thoughtful and at times, nearly orchestral record.

Evan Pang, Sean Sroka, & Derek Hoffman, “Somebody Else” by Aysanabee
(Sandy Lake First Nation)

Oji-Cree artist, Aysanabee, has travelled an impressive distance from unsigned artist to internationally touring breakout. The first Indigenous artist to reach #1 on Canadian Alt-Rock Charts, his debut JUNO-nominated album Watin was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize. With Here and Now, he embarks on a new sonic path.

Greyson Gritt, Tessa Balaz, & Petr Balaz, “Turnin’ it Up” by G.R. Gritt
(Greater Sudbury)

Juno award-winning G.R. Gritt weaves a sonic tapestry that pulls effortlessly from the past to create soulful futurisms. Their mesmerizing voice carries the weight of their experiences and ancestral connections, delivering poignant lyrics that resonate deeply with listeners. Their music reflects their Two-Spirit and Queer experience.

Ryan MacDonald, “Suffocate” by The Honest Heart Collective
(Thunder Bay)

The Honest Heart Collective's three albums are an unintended trilogy; Liar’s Club, the naïve home studio DIY, Grief Rights, a coming-of-age tale, and More Harm, an accumulation of failures and victories. "Suffocate" marks a sense of closure from young adulthood and the start of a matured version of the band.

Nicholas Cangiano, “Dazed” by Nicholas Cangiano
(North Bay)

Nicholas Cangiano is a Montreal-based multi-instrumentalist from North Bay who’s bringing soul back into pop music. Cangiano uses his savvy for several instruments – most notably guitar, bass, and keys – to blend influences of classic funk and soul with modern pop and rock together into fresh, infectious productions.

Award Sponsored by Nogdawindamin Family & Community Services

NOMFA 2024 NOMINEES

“Hearing Protection”, The Ape-ettes. Directed by Jeff Houle & Curtis Carriere.
(Greater Sudbury)

The Ape-ettes are a garage-pop trio comprised of long-time friends, Andrée, Melanie and Julie. Formed in Andrée’s basement, these girls have the gift of pumping out infectious tunes with their spirited less-is-more approach.

“Here and Now”, Aysanabee. Directed by Alex Smith.
(Sandy Lake First Nation)

Oji-Cree artist, Aysanabee, has travelled an impressive distance from unsigned artist to internationally touring breakout. The first Indigenous artist to reach #1 on Canadian Alt-Rock Charts, his debut JUNO-nominated album Watin was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize. With Here and Now, he embarks on a new sonic path.

“Hommage/Picaroon”, Mclean. Directed by Shawn Kosmerly.
(Greater Sudbury)

Simon Jutras, alias Mclean, est un musicien de formation classique originaire de Sudbury. Actif depuis 2015, il est reconnu aux NOMFAS en 2017 (Meilleur album francophone) et au Galla Trille Or en 2019 (Meilleur album) pour son univers musical éclectique. Il a lancé son dernier disque Anonyme en automne 2023.

“The Same Way”, Rose-Erin Stokes. Directed by Andrew Sowka.
(North Bay)

Highlighted by an artistic acumen and an amazing ability to evoke emotion, Rose-Erin Stokes' music is demonstrative of a songwriting craftsperson at work, with music, words, and vocal performances that connect to the hearts and spirits of all who hear them.

“I Always Get What I Want”, Strange Attractor. Directed by Curtis Carriere.
(Greater Sudbury)

Strange Attractor is a solo-recording-project-turned-touring-live-band created by Jeff Houle. In 2023 the international garage-punk cult group released Good Boy Bad Boy, their first album in 10 years on Celluloid Lunch Records (Canada, US), Discos De Muerte (Mexico) and Drunken Sailor Records (UK, Europe).

Award Sponsored by White Owl Film Studios

NOMFA 2024 NOMINEES

Adaptation, directed by Jake Thomas
(Greater Sudbury)

Adaptation is a feature-length documentary showcasing various wheelchair athletes who have overcome adversity to converge in BC for the world's first downhill mountain bike race to include an adaptive mountain bike (aMTB) category. The film celebrates the gift of life, love, and friendship through all its complexities.

Blooms: a Documentary about Cobalt, Ontario, directed by Jordan Vandenberg
(filmed in Cobalt)

Mining built Cobalt over 100 years ago, but what will it take to keep the town afloat now? Blooms: a film about the past present and future of Cobalt, Ontario, by Jordan Vandenberg and Alec Jordan.

Café Daughter, directed by Shelley Niro
(filmed in Greater Sudbury)

Café Daughter, based on true events, is a story of personal reconciliation for young Chinese-Cree Yvette Wong, as she embraces her heritage and builds towards her dream of becoming a doctor in 1960s Saskatchewan. 

Cascade, directed by Egidio Coccimiglio
(filmed in Sault Ste. Marie)

A teenage girl's wilderness hike with friends spirals after they stumble upon a crashed drug plane, forcing her to outwit a ruthless gang and face an enemy far worse than drug smugglers.

Fitting In, directed by Molly McGlynn
(filmed in Greater Sudbury)

A teen girl is diagnosed with a reproductive condition that upends her plans to have a sex life, propelling her to explore unusual methods. Her relationships are challenged with everyone in her life, but most importantly, herself.

La switch, directed by Michel Kandinsky
(filmed in Greater Sudbury)

La switch is a film about intergenerational trauma and the psychological struggle veterans face within themselves due to the atrocities they experience during combat that are too horrible to share with ordinary people.

My Animal, directed by Jacquline Castel
(filmed in Timmins)

Tormented by a hidden family curse, Heather is forced to live a secluded life on the outskirts of a small town. When she falls for the rebellious Jonny, their connection threatens to unravel Heather's suppressed desires, tempting her to unleash the animal within.  

NOMFA 2024 NOMINEES

Braided Together, directed by Victoria Anderson-Gardner & Kyle Schmalenberg
(filmed in Thunder Bay)

Tenaya and Autumn, two new friends, find that their friendship means more to each other than they realize; one is supported through loneliness, while the other is supported through deep grief.

Journey to Our Homeland, directed by Adrien Harpelle
(filmed in Nibinamik First Nation)

In September 2019, Nibinamik First Nation Elders Tommy Yellowhead and Stephen Neshinapaise, both born at Pinnae Mootang, were accompanied by a small group of youth and a Shebafilms crew as they travelled a historic canoe route to their birthplace.

Lingering Pieces, directed by Jacqueline Lamb
(filmed in Greater Sudbury)

Exiting an abusive situation does not make trauma disappear. This short film portrays someone who left an abusive relationship and how her day-to-day life continues to feel the impact.

Red Iron Road: No. 8 Reporting, directed by Matthew Lyon & Ajosha Klimov
(animated in North Bay)

Citizens from the well-fed, fenced off city can only venture beyond the walls on a train that distributes humanitarian aid. One reporter is determined to find out what really happens outside the city.

Through Brown Glass, directed by Keenan Grom
(filmed in Moosonee)

A son and grandfather share a parting glass as their bootlegging business goes down the drain.

NOMFA 2024 NOMINEES

Essex County
(filmed in North Bay)

Based on the graphic novel by Jeff Lemire. Four disparate characters linked together through bloodlines. The lead characters ebb and flow into each other's lives, slowly weaving connections between them that ultimately save and redeem them. 

Shoresy Season 1
(filmed in Greater Sudbury)

Shoresy joins the Sudbury Bulldogs of the Northern Ontario Senior Hockey Organization (aka The NOSHO) on a quest to never lose again.

SkyMed Season 2
(filmed in North Bay)

Life, death, and drama at 20,000 feet. SkyMed is a one-hour drama about the intense personal lives of the young nurses and pilots flying air ambulances in remote Northern Canada. 

The Lake Season 1 & Season 2
(filmed in North Bay)

Justin returns from living abroad in the hope of reconnecting with the biological daughter that he gave up for adoption. His plans go awry when he finds out his father left the family cottage to his stepsister.

Thunder Bay
(filmed in Thunder Bay)

A four-part documentary series about the murders of Indigenous people in the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario and the racism which allowed it to occur.

Award Sponsored by Wildeboer Dellelce LLP

NOMFA 2024 NOMINEES

Darlene Naponse, Stellar
(Atikameksheng Anishnawbek First Nation)

Darlene Naponse is a multidisciplinary Indigenous artist from Atikameksheng Anishnawbek. She is a writer, director, video artist and poet. Her short films and feature films have screened in different film festivals across the world, and her work is deeply connected to her community, First Nations realities of the 21st century, and Mother Earth.

David Lickley, Jane Goodall: Reasons for Hope
(Greater Sudbury)

With a master’s degree in biology from the University of Alberta, David has made over 30 nature and science documentaries. He is also the Director of Large Format Films at the internationally renowned science center, Science North, in Sudbury.

Egidio Coccimiglio, Cascade
(Sault Ste. Marie)

Egidio Coccimiglio is a film director and screenwriter. He was born in Sault Ste. Marie, the son of an immigrant steelworker. A Film Arts graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University, his independent films have won critical awards in Chicago, Houston, Montreal, and Lisbon.

Jake Thomas, Adaptation
(Greater Sudbury)

After finishing post secondary school with a degree in music and another degree in film, Jake incorporated Riley Lake Productions in 1997. Over the years he has been involved countless projects for television, film and web-based platforms honing his skills as a cinematographer, producer, director and editor.

Ryan McMahon & Leslie Lucas, Thunder Bay
(Thunder Bay)

Ryan McMahon is one of North America’s most celebrated Indigenous comedians, keynote speakers, journalists, and writers, whose voice has become vital to both Indigenous & non-Indigenous communities in North America through his unique ability to communicate nuanced and complex issues in engaging and accessible ways.

Leslie Lucas is an award-winning director and producer, with over 20 years experience in Canadian documentary television. Her work includes Discovery's highly-acclaimed documentary series Jetstream. She is a deeply passionate filmmaker with an innate story sense, who works tirelessly to bring authenticity and emotion to each of the films and series’ she is involved with.

NOMFA 2024 NOMINEES

Austin Lindsay, Walter’s Room
(North Bay)

Austin Lindsay is a northern Ontario filmmaker, currently studying film in Toronto, Ontario at York University. Austin Lindsay has produced and directed a number of Northern Ontario productions, including Abduction (2021).

David Lickley, Jane Goodall: Reasons for Hope
(Greater Sudbury)

With a master’s degree in biology from the University of Alberta, David has made over 30 nature and science documentaries. He is also the Director of Large Format Films at the internationally renowned science center, Science North, in Sudbury.

Keenan Grom, Through Brown Glass
(Moose Cree First Nation)

Keenan Grom is from the Moose Cree First Nation. Since 2018, Keenan has amassed credits both on and off screen. Through Brown Glass is Keenan's directorial and screenwriting debut.

Kelly Saxberg & Ron Harpelle, The Sniper / Tireur d’élite
(Thunder Bay)

Producer and cinematographer Kelly Saxberg has a MA in History. She works in English, French, Spanish. She has directed and edited dozens of award-winning history films, most notably Rosie’s of the North, Letters from Karelia, Dorothea Mitchell: A Reel Pioneer.

Ron Harpelle is an award-winning producer and director and he teaches History at Lakehead University. Together with Kelly Saxberg, he has worked in a variety of capacities on dozens of films and videos. He has a special interest in historical documentaries and in making Social Science research come alive in the form of films, videos. and as new media. 

Victoria Anderson-Gardner & Kyle Schmalenberg, Braided Together
(Migisi Sahgaigan First Nation)

Victoria Anderson-Gardner is an award winning two-spirited Anishinaabe filmmaker from Migisi Sahgaigan First Nation. They recently served as the Studio Coordinator for the Central Canada Studio at the National Film Board of Canada. Victoria was also awarded the Glenn Gould Protege Prize for their work from Glenn Gould laureate Alanis Obomsawin.

Kyle Schmalenberg is an award-winning director and producer who has produced the fictional and documentary short films Another World and Who We Are. He wrote and directed Glimpses into The Spirit of Gender Equality, a feature-length doc made in collaboration with the United Nations, which had its virtual premiere at the Commission on the Status of Women.

Award Sponsored by That Creative Loft

NOMFA 2024 NOMINEES

François Arnaud, La Switch
(filmed in Greater Sudbury)

After graduating from the Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Montréal in 2007, François Arnaud made his big-screen debut in Sophie Lorain's Les grandes chaleurs and Xavier Dolan's J'ai tué ma mère. He quickly landed major international roles, including Neil Jordan's The Borgias opposite Jeremy Irons and the lead in the NBC series Midnight, Texas, as well as the Peabody Award-winning television series UnReal on Hulu, Fox's The Moodys, NBC's Blindspot and the cult comedy Schitt's Creek.

Maddie Ziegler, Fitting In
(filmed in Greater Sudbury)

Maddie Ziegler is one of Gen Z’s most celebrated actors and dancers. She can currently be seen as the lead in the indie feature Fitting In, a coming-of-age “traumedy” feature alongside Emily Hampshire (Schitt’s Creek). Written and directed by Molly McGlynn, this film follows 16-year-old Lindy (Ziegler), who is unexpectedly diagnosed with a reproductive condition that upends her plans to have sex, presumptions about womanhood and relationship with her mother (Hampshire).

Oyin Oladejo, Orah
(filmed in Greater Sudbury)

Ms. Oladejo graduated from the prestigious Humber School of Creative & Performing Arts in Toronto, having immigrated to Canada from Nigeria in her teens. Within the next few years Oyin worked non-stop in Canadian theatre, where she won The Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Performance. In film and television, Oyin again bounded to the top very quickly, landing the series regular role of “Joann Owosekun” on the hit series Star Trek: Discovery for CBS, opposite Jason Isaacs, and Sonequa Martin-Green. Oyin has just returned to Canada having completed shooting the title role in the feature film Orah, which shot in both Canada and Nigeria.

Sara Waisglass, Cascade
(filmed in Sault Ste. Marie)

Sara Waisglass is an actress and developing screenwriter who has spent well over ten years honing her craft in the business of filmmaking. Her career began at the ripe age of seven when she landed the role of Jordy Cooper in Shaftesbury's Overruled and spent three seasons charming audiences. Sara brings to her work a natural instinct and ability that has served her well working alongside the incomparable John Malkovich and Romain Duris in Afterwards, as well as Rob Pattinson and Dane Dehaan in Life. Her role as Frankie Hollingsworth in Degrassi cemented her as one of Canada's finest young actresses, earning her a nomination for a Young Entertainers Award in 2016.

Sonja Smits, Better Days
(filmed in Sault Ste. Marie)

Sonja Smits’ career includes leading three television series, Street Legal, Traders and The Eleventh Hour, as well as many TV movies such as Margret Lawrence's The Diviners. Her feature films include David Cronenberg's cult classic Videodrome and Owning Mahoney with Philip Seymour Hofffman. Sonja has received numerous honours and awards for her work including a Gemini Award-Best Actress, TWFT- Outstanding Achievement Award and ACTRA Award of Excellence. She was the first artist named as President of Harbourfront Centre Board, was a founding member of ACTRA Women's Caucus and served as Chair at Toronto Artscape Foundation.

Stephen McHattie, My Animal
(filmed in Timmins)

Stephen McHattie is a Canadian actor. Since beginning his professional career in 1970, he has amassed over 200 film and television credits, including Pontypool, The Fountain, Watchmen, Shoot ‘Em Up, and Essex County. He won the Genie Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Rocket, and a Gemini Award for Life with Billy.