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Canadian Filmmakers Win Big at Oscars, Intensifying Funding Push

Winners used the spotlight to urge stronger public funding alongside streamer contributions under contested CRTC rules.

Overview

  • Toronto’s Maggie Kang won best animated feature for KPop Demon Hunters, a Netflix title reported as the platform’s most-viewed film with a sequel greenlit.
  • Montreal’s Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski took best animated short for The Girl Who Cried Pearls, an NFB production that marked the institution’s 12th Oscar.
  • Canadian crafts teams on Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein won for production design and for makeup and hairstyling, with the film built on Toronto stages and local crews.
  • In post-ceremony remarks, winners called for foreign streamers to pay into Canadian cultural funds under the Online Streaming Act, noting a CRTC plan for around 5% of Canadian revenue above a $25 million threshold that Amazon and Apple are challenging.
  • Coverage underscored longstanding funding strains at public institutions, citing NFB workforce cuts and an unresolved permanent boost for Telefilm, which advocates say must be addressed to sustain future successes.