Published Wednesday, December 23, 2020 1:35PM EST TORONTO - The Documentary Organization of Canada says filmmaker Michelle Latimer has agreed to return an award presented to her earlier this month. The organization says it requested Latimer relinquish its BMO-DOC Vanguard Award after her claims of Indigenous identity were called into question last week. The DOC Institute bestows its Vanguard award on a mid-career filmmaker who “embodies creativity, social consciousness and leadership.” The award included $40,000 of in-kind production services and a $1,000 cash prize. As recently as a few weeks ago, Latimer was regarded as one of this year s breakout Canadian filmmakers, partly on the rise of “Inconvenient Indian,” a documentary that won two awards at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
Michelle Latimer to return DOC Vanguard Award amid ancestry controversy theglobeandmail.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theglobeandmail.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Sarah Spring has been appointed executive director of Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC).
The award-winning doc producer (pictured) assumes the role Jan. 4, taking over from outgoing exec director Michelle van Beusekom, who is leaving the role after 10 months for a senior advisor position at the Isuma Collective.
With 15 years of experience in the doc world, Spring’s most recent credits include the acclaimed feature-length doc
No Ordinary Man, which she produced through her production banner Parabola Films. The project premiered at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival in September and also won the prize for best Canadian feature at Inside Out.