Two years ago, Acting for Film & Television grad Sara Canning took a quick break from her role in the fan favourite series The Vampire Diaries to star in the independent feature film, Black Field.

Directed by Danishka Esterhazy, this dark period drama screened at the sixth annual Vancouver Women in Film Festival last weekend to much acclaim; it won Best Feature Drama and Sara was honoured with an award for Best Performance. We reached her by email to get her reaction:

“It was such an honour to attend VWIFF and to celebrate the accomplishments and incredible work of dedicated women in our industry. Winning Best Performance for Black Field was equally surprising and crazy exciting for me. The film marked my first time working with a female director, and her intellect and passion for stories about strong female characters inspired me.”

“I felt a new challenge and level of exploration in playing with her very complex protagonist. To be recognized by my peers and fellow women who are on the same storytelling mission was just awesome.”

Congratulations, Sara!

Click here to visit the film’s website to learn more.