There were several Canadian winners at this year’s Academy Awards -- thanks in large part to the huge success of the fantasy drama "The Shape of Water."
WINNERS
Toronto producer J. Miles Dale took home the biggest prize of the night: Best Picture for "The Shape of Water," which was directed by Guillermo del Toro.
"I'm ecstatic, euphoric," Dale told The Canadian Press after his win. “We're incredibly happy and proud and surprised and shocked off our feet.”
Backstage, Dale called the win “a great moment for Canadian filmmaking." He previously noted that almost every person who worked on the film was Canadian, besides del Toro and a few members of the cast.
"The Shape of Water" produced three other big Canadian winners: Nova Scotia set decorator Shane Vieau, Paul Austerberry, and Jeffrey A. Melvin, accepted the Oscar for best production design for their collective work on the film.
OTHER NOMINEES
Several other Canadians nominated for their work on “The Shape of Water” were shut out of wins. They included sound editors Nathan Robitaille and Nelson Ferreira; sound mixers Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern and Glen Gauthier; costume designer Luis M. Sequeira; and film editor Sidney Wolinsky.
Another production design nominee was also Canadian: Vancouver-born Dennis Gassner had been nominated for “Blade Runner 2049,” but lost to the Canadian trio working on “The Shape of Water.”
Actor Christopher Plummer had been nominated for best supporting actor for his role in "All The Money In The World," but lost to Sam Rockwell, who took home the award for his work in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing,
The animated Canadian film "The Breadwinner" was also among this year's nominees. The movie, written by Canadian filmmaker Anita Doron and based on the novel by Canadian author Deborah Ellis, It featured the voice work of Canadian actress Saara Chaudry. It lost to the Pixar blockbuster Coco.
