Stay the Night awarded People’s Choice after opening Durham Regional Film Festival in Whitby

Stay the Night, a Canadian romantic drama about a one-night stand that became more profound than either person expected is the People’s Choice Award winner from the Durham Region International Film Festival (DRIFF).

Directed by Renuka Jeyapalan and starring Andrea Bang (Kim’s Convenience) and Quebec actor Joe Scarpellino, the 94-minute film, shot entirely in Toronto, earned the honour in a very tight race.

Stay the Night was the opening night gala feature for the DRIFF Fall Festival this year, with three days of curated programming – both feature-length and shorts and both Canadian and international – that were showcased at the Centennial Building in Whitby, St. Francis Centre for Community Arts & Culture in Ajax and the Biltmore Theatre in Oshawa September 29-October 1.

The 2022 festival – the first in-person screenings allowed since 2019 – also included interactive film workshops and industry panels that were designed to engage a diverse network of audiences, filmmakers, and collaborators through a shared love of film.

The films and many others were also available virtually October 2-9.

Best Documentary – Love in the Time of Fentanyl

Other films honoured at the festival included:

• BEST FEATURE – CARAJITA | DOMINICAN REPUBLIC | 89 MINS
• DIRECTED BY: ULISES PORRA & SILVINA SCHNICER
• BEST DOCUMENTARY – LOVE IN THE TIME OF FENTANYL | USA | 80 MINS
• DIRECTED BY: COLIN ASKEY
• BEST CANADIAN SHORT – NUISANCE BEAR | CANADA | 14 MINS
• DIRECTED BY: JACK WEISMAN & GABRIELA OSIO VANDEN
• BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT – IDENTIBYE | IRAN | 15 MINS
• DIRECTED BY: SAJJAD SHAHHATAMI
• BEST REGIONAL FILM – HE COMES AT NIGHT | CANADA | 10 MINS
• DIRECTED BY: JOSEPH COVELLO
• BEST STUDENT FILM – FEELING THE APOCALYPSE | CANADA | 7 MINS
• DIRECTED BY: CHEN SING YAP

Best Student Film – Feeling the Apocalypse

The DRIFF 2022 Jury Panel was comprised of film programmer Carolyn Mauricette, author John Arkellian, industry programmer Powys Dewhurst, film producer Shahla Khan, cinematographer Russell Gienapp and film director Cory Bowles.

For more information on the festival visit https://www.driff.ca/