First Ever Canada-Wide Costume Arts And Design Awards To Be Held In Toronto In 2019

Alex Kavanagh, President of the Canadian Alliance of Film & Television Costume Arts & Design (CAFTCAD) announced today the inaugural Costume Design and Arts Awards ceremony. Joanna Syrokomla, past president of CAFTCAD, will be the Chairman of the event. The CAFTCAD Awards take place in Toronto in late winter 2019.

The mandate of the CAFTCAD Awards will be to promote and celebrate Canadian Costume Arts and Design and to recognize the breadth of talent, the scope of contemporary, period or fantasy elements, differing media platforms, running lengths and budgets that exist within Canadian film and media costume design and arts.

"A ceremony which honours the excellence in design achievements of Canadian costumers and artisans is long overdue," said Event Chair, Joanna Syrokomla. "Their contribution to the evolution of the Canadian film and television industry cannot be underestimated and recognizing these immense talents with a proper event that allows for nation-wide eligibility is something I am very proud to be spearheading."

Costume designers and artisans who are either Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada and have worked on projects (feature film, short film, television, music videos, web series, commercials), which have been produced within Canada (costumes must have been primarily built/created in Canada) will be eligible. The eligibility period for the 2019 CAFTCAD Awards is January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018 for projects that have been released theatrically, online, on streaming services, on television/cable, or participated in accredited film festivals.

The final list of prize categories is still in development, but will include: Film: Contemporary, Film: Period, Film: SciFi/Fantasy, TV: Contemporary, TV: Period, TV: SciFi/Fantasy, Original Web Series, Commercials, Music Videos and Short Films.

Formed in 2008, CAFTCAD is an association of individuals interested in promoting costume design for film, television and media from both an artistic and technical perspective. Our goal is to enrich our community with a national organization that is inclusive of experience and talent. The Alliance provides an open forum for discussion, networking and knowledge sharing for our members through periodic seminars, workshops, exhibits and an online forum. We explore the areas of individual design approach, illustration, and advancements in film technologies. We celebrate the richness of historic and contemporary fashion and its relationship to our craft. Our vision is to increase awareness and the value of costume arts and design as a powerful element in the collaborative process of filmmaking; furthering international recognition of the creative talent we have in Canada.

With 20 years under her sparkly belt as a costume designer, Joanna Syrokomla is one of the founding members of CAFTCAD. Acting first as Secretary, then Vice President and finally as President (2013-15), she produced the Canadian premiere of "A Conversation with Edith Head" at the Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, and she worked with CAFTCAD to create the Best Costume Design Award category for the Canadian Film Festival. Her film design credits include Nellie Bly, Little Italy, Love Jacked, and The Steps. TV design includes Bitten, The L.A. Complex and web series Whatever, Linda which garnered the Mejor Vestuario (Best Costume Design) Award at the Buenos Aires Web Fest. In 2014, Joanna was nominated for the Virginia and Myrtle Cooper Award, awarded to professional Canadian costume designers in Ontario in mid-career to further enrich their careers through research and travel.

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