Joy Awards are coming starting in October, no Awards in September at Atlantic Film Festival.

Due to the recent elimination of the Film Tax Credit, and the closure of the Film & Creative Industries NS offices, by the NS Liberal Government of Stephen McNeil, the film sector in NS has been in chaos. The Joy Awards have been caught in the collateral consequences of this crisis.

Many of our partners are businesses based both here and elsewhere, who see the Joy Awards as a means to support emerging talent in a successful film NS industry, to help build careers and retain skill and talent pools here in Atlantic Canada. Because of the damage done to the film industry in NS by the Liberal government, these stakeholders are moving away, or are in precarious financial circumstances, or simply don’t see any future in the film sector here for the next several years.

Because of the understandable stresses and changes our partners are undergoing, it is not possible to offer the Joy Awards in NS in their traditional form this year.

The Newfoundland Joy and New Brunswick Joy Awards will continue in a similar form to the past.

Efforts are underway to offer at least one Joy Award in NS this year, but details are unavailable at this time, please check the website from time to time. Deadlines for any Awards this year will be in mid-October, with winners announced around mid-November.

Because of the timing of recent events, it will not be possible to hold a Brunch this year, as there simply won’t be any announcements at that time.

You can follow the Joy Awards here on the website, on Facebook, and Twitter.