Nearly 1,000 VFS alumni credits across 2026 Leo and Canadian Screen Awards

Nothing quite beats the excitement of awards night. The red carpet, the outfits and, of course, those coveted trophies. Though there are dozens of awards ceremonies held throughout the year, a handful are especially meaningful to Canadians – including the Leo Awards and Canadian Screen Awards, both of which concluded only recently.

Vancouver Film School’s alumni have a long history of awards recognition. But little compares to what was achieved over the past few months. To our current count, VFS alumni credits on projects recognized at the Leos and Canadian Screen Awards has reached 989, including numerous direct nominations and wins.

This week, we’re diving into these numbers as we celebrate our alumni’s incredible achievements across film and television.

989 VFS ALUMNI CREDITS (AND COUNTING) AT THE LEOS AND CSA 

With so many alumni recognized for their work, it’s hard to know where to start! At the Leo Awards, 741 total alumni were credited, 243 of whom worked on winning projects:

• Lark President Erin Haskett – a VFS Film Production alum – was part of the team that won Best Dramatic Series for Allegiance.
• Film Production alum Sushant Desai won Best Picture for Holy Days.
• Acting alum Mayumi Yoshida won Best Lead Performance and Best Screenwriting for her film Akashi. The film picked up a total of five wins.
• Acting alum Sophia Carriere won Best Lead Performance - TV Movie for her performance in Girl in the Attic.
• Mister Sandman, by Film Production alum (and current instructor!) Chad Costen, won two awards and featured the talent of 6 VFS alumni.
• Writing alum Derek Thompson and former instructor Dennis Heaton won Best Screenwriting for the series Murder in a Small Town. The series picked up four total wins and featured 14 VFS alumni.
• Other projects featuring VFS talent include Virgin River (27), Percy Jackson and the Olympians (24), and When Calls the Heart (52).

“Winning the Leo Award for Best Picture for Holy Days felt less like a personal milestone and more like meaningful recognition for the film and the people behind it” comments Sushant Desai. “I don’t think filmmaking ever belongs to one person, so more than anything, it felt like an acknowledgment of the whole team and the work everyone put into bringing it to life.” 

Similarly, at the Canadian Screen Awards, 248 total alumni were credited, 58 of whom worked on winning projects:

• 3D Animation graduate Steven Davies worked as a Compositor on Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, which won the night’s top film prize – Best Picture.
• Heated Rivalry, which won a record-breaking 16 awards, co-stars VFS Acting alum Kaden Connors.
• Acting alum Kirkland Douglas was a contestant on The Traitors Canada – winner of Best Competition Program.
• Other films and series featuring the talents of our alumni include Wild Cards (25), Unicorn Academy (22), and Family Law (18).

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE AWARDS

The Canadian Screen Awards are Canada’s biggest celebration of homegrown film, television, and digital media. Presented annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, the awards recognize the artists and craftspeople behind Canada’s best screen-based storytelling, from actors, directors, and writers to editors, sound designers, visual effects artists, and more. The 2026 Canadian Screen Awards took place from May 27 to 31 at the CBC Broadcast Centre in Toronto, culminating in a live ceremony celebrating the best of the Canadian screen industry.

Closer to home, the Leo Awards have celebrated excellence in British Columbia’s film and television industry since 1999. Presented by the Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Foundation of British Columbia, the annual awards recognize the extraordinary depth of talent working across the province, with categories spanning motion pictures, television, documentaries, animation, music videos, and more, as well as the many creative and technical disciplines that bring these projects to life. The 2026 Leo Awards took place July 4 and 5 at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver, bringing together some of B.C.’s most accomplished screen professionals for two nights of celebration.

VFS’S SCHOOL OF FILM & TELEVISION TRAINS AWARD-WINNING ARTISTS

The common denominator for many of these alumni? They graduated from VFS’s School of Film & Television, which features five distinct programs spanning entertainment production – Film Production, Acting for Film & Television, Writing for Film, Television & Games, Makeup Design for Film & Television, and Sound Design for Visual Media.

At VFS, students train in just one year through an intensive, hands-on production model designed to mirror real entertainment industry production pipelines. You’ll collaborate with fellow students across our School of Film & Television programs, be trained by experienced industry professionals, and graduate with a powerful portfolio that shows studios/agents that you’re industry-ready.

Ready to join our award-winning alumni? Explore our programs, book an appointment with an Advisor, and discover how you can launch your creative career in just 1 year.

Back to THE BLOG homepage