Newfoundland and Labrador film ‘Little Orphans’ wins top prize in Whistler

Dec 21, 2020 | 10:31 AM

WHISTLER, B.C. — A Newfoundland and Labrador film about the agonizing disorderliness of family took home a tidy sum and the top prize at this year’s Whistler Film Festival.

The festival announced Sunday its jury awarded “Little Orphans” the Borsos Award for best Canadian feature film.

“Little Orphans” stars its writer, Emily Bridger, alongside Rhiannon Morgan of “Away from Everywhere” and Marthe Bernard of “Republic of Doyle.” The movie is shot in St. John’s, N.L., and is directed by Ruth Lawrence, a well-known filmmaker and theatre artist in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The film tells the story of three adult sisters dealing with the fallout from an unstable childhood and a tangled relationship with their mother.