At the Canadian Screen Awards, the Industry Steps Outside Hollywood’s Shadow

The crowd hushed as the black Escalade pulled curbside in the afternoon Toronto sun.

Robbie Graham-Kuntz, the Canadian actor who plays Kip in the ubiquitous hockey drama “Heated Rivalry,” emerged from the giant SUV.

The crowd screamed and tried to get closer to him, as a security guard stretched out his arms to hold fans at bay.

“I’m so sorry I’m in your private space,” a young woman clasping a copy of “Heated Rivalry” said shyly after brushing against his chest in the fray.

The security guy smiled and let her inch a little forward.

It was a genuinely Canadian moment at the start of a night celebrating the growing powerhouse that is the country’s screen industry, at a critical moment in its history.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/13/world/canada/canadian-screen-awards-heated-rivalry-toronto.html