Sixteen Sheridan graduates take home Canadian Screen Awards

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Congratulations to 16 Sheridan graduates who have received 20 Canadian Screen Awards this year. The Canadian Screen Awards (CSAs) celebrate homegrown talent in front of the camera and behind the scenes in film, television and digital media.

The 2015 CSAs were presented at a series of week-long events, culminating in the final broadcast gala on Sunday, March 1, 2015 in Toronto. This year's alumni winners represent a range of Sheridan programs, including advanced television and film, animation, bachelor of design (honours), communication, culture and information technology, interactive multimedia and media arts. Their graduation years range from 1989 to 2009.

Among the highlights:

Stephen Barden, coordinator of Sheridan's new bachelor of film and television program shared the award for Achievement in Sound Editing for the film Pompeii with three other media arts graduates, Alex Bullick, J.R. Fountain and Jill Purdy.

Ryan Andal and Pietro Gagliano of Toronto digital agency Secret Location took home three awards in Best Cross-Platform Project categories. Andal is a 2005 graduate of Sheridan's interactive multimedia program and Gagliano earned a bachelor of design (honours) in 2006.

Several animation graduates were among the Sheridan winners, including Mauro Casalese (animation, 1989) who received the CSA for Best Animated Program or Series for Rocket Monkeys. Matt Ferguson (classical animation, 2001) won for Best Direction in an Animated Program or Series for The Day my Butt Went Psycho.

The award for Best Performance in an Animated Program or Series went to Justin Time, the hit pre-school series from Toronto's Guru Studio, home to many Sheridan graduates, including studio founder Frank Falcone (art & art history, 1992 & computer animation, 1992) and Justin Time creator Brandon James Scott (bachelor of applied arts-animation, 2007).

Michael Fukushima, another Sheridan animation alumnus (1985), was the executive producer of Me and My Moulton which received the CSA for Best Animated Short.

The following Sheridan graduates took home Canadian Screen Awards at three ceremonies which took place February 23, 24 and March 1:

Ryan Andal (Interactive Multimedia, 2005) and Pietro Gagliano [art fundamentals, 2002 & bachelor of design (honours), 2006]:

Best Cross-Platform Project - Fiction for Played - Interference

Best Cross-Platform Project - Children's and Youth for Grojband -The Show Must Go On!

Best Cross-Platform Project - Non-Fiction for Big Brother Canada Digital

Stephen Barden (media arts, 1995), Alex Bullick (computer foundations, 1999 & media arts, 2002), J.R. Fountain (media arts, 2001), and Jill Purdy (media arts, 1996): Achievement in Sound Editing for Pompeii

Mauro Casalese (animation, 1989): Best Animated Program or Series for Rocket Monkeys

Matt Ferguson (classical animation, 2001): Best Direction in an Animated Program or Series for The Day my Butt Went Psycho - I Dream of Deucie/Planet of the Butt Monkeys

Maria Gordon (computer graphics, 1997 & computer animation, 1998) and Eric Lacroix (computer animation, 2007): Best Visual Effects for Vikings - Invasion

Peter Persaud and Mark Zsifkovits (both media arts, 1993): Achievement in Overall Sound for Pompeii

Scott Riopelle (classical animation, 2001): Achievement in Visual Effects for Pompeii

Anastasia Trofimova (communication, culture and information technology, 2009): Barbara Sears Award for Best Editorial Research for Tales from the Organ Trade

Robert Warchol (media arts, 1991): Best Sound in a Dramatic Program or Series for Vikings - The Choice

Supinder Wraich (advanced television and film, 2009): Best Performance in a Program or Series Produced for Digital Media for Guidestones: Sunflower Noir

Many of this year's Sheridan alumni winners have received Canadian Screen Awards in the past. Previous recipients include: Ryan Andal, Stephen Barden, Alex Bullick, J.R. Fountain, Pietro Gagliano, Maria Gordon, Peter Persaud, Jill Purdy and Scott Riopelle