Atom Egoyan
Birth Name:
Atom Yeghoyan
Birth Place:
Cairo, Egypt
Profession
Director, Producer, Writer, Actor, Editor, Soundtrack, Editorial department, Camera department
Fast Facts
- Named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1999, the highest honor a Canadian civilian can receive
- Studied International Relations at the University of Toronto
- Became interested in reading and writing plays as a teenager and was greatly influenced by Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter, as well as by Ingmar Bergman's film "Persona․"
- Created a short film in college called "Howard in Particular," which was shown at the Canadian National Exhibition film festival
- Quote: "Don't get depressed about not being where you want to be․ This nagging feeling of anxiety is actually called ambition․ Ambition is your friend․"
- Quote: "(On communication technologies): "I think we're saturated with a degree of intimacy we would never have expected, and we're trying to sort through this idea of complete access to each other's lives․․․Our emotions aren't filtered out at all․""
- Quote: "(On his film "Ararat," which addresses the 1915 genocide of Armenians by the Turkish Empire): "So this was the great challenge for me and to show how powerful a force art can be in dealing with trauma and how it is the vindication․""
- Best known for directing films that explore the idea of technology damaging human relationships, such as "Next of Kin," "Exotica," and "The Sweet Hereafter․"
- His wife, Arsinée Khanjian, has appeared in nearly all of his movies, with the exception of "Chloe․"
- Is a faculty member at the University of Toronto and teaches an Intensive Summer Seminar in film at the European Graduate School
Awards
- 1984Interfilm Award - Honorable MentionWinner
- 1984Mannheim Film DucatWinner
- 1985Genie - Best Achievement in Direction:Nominated
- 1987Best Canadian Feature FilmWinner
- 1988Interfilm Award - Honorable Mention - Forum of New Cinema:Winner
- 1988Genie - Best Motion Picture:Nominated
- 1988Genie - Best Achievement in Film Editing:Nominated
- 1988Genie - Best Screenplay:Nominated
- 1988Genie - Best Achievement in Direction:Nominated
- 1988Prize of the Ecumenical JuryWinner
- 1988Prize of the City of Torino - Best Feature Film:Nominated
- 1988Golden Spike - Best Film:Nominated
- 1989Gold Hugo - Best Feature:Nominated
- 1989Special MentionWinner
- 1989Golden Spike - Best Film:Nominated
- 1989Best Canadian ScreenplayWinner
- 1990Genie - Best Motion Picture:Nominated
- 1990Genie - Best Screenplay, Original:Nominated
- 1990Genie - Best Achievement in Direction:Nominated
- 1991SACD Prize - Directors' Fortnight:Nominated
- 1991Best Canadian FilmWinner
- 1991Best Ontario FeatureWinner
- 1991Genie - Best Achievement in Direction:Nominated
- 1991Special Jury PrizeWinner
- 1991Golden St. GeorgeNominated
- 1991Best Canadian Feature FilmWinner
- 1991Golden Spike - Best Film:Winner
- 1993Genie - Best Achievement in Direction:Nominated
- 1993Genie - Best Screenplay:Nominated
- 1993Special Jury PrizeWinner
- 1994Palme d'OrNominated
- 1994FIPRESCI PrizeWinner
- 1994Gold Hugo - Best Feature:Nominated
- 1994Best Canadian FilmWinner
- 1994Genie - Best Motion Picture:Winner
- 1994Genie - Best Achievement in Direction:Winner
- 1994Genie - Best Screenplay, Original:Winner
- 1994Best Canadian Feature FilmWinner
- 1994Golden Spike - Best Film:Nominated
- 1994Silver Spike - Best Film:Winner
- 1995Critics Award - Best Foreign Film:Winner
- 1996AVN Award - Best Alternative Adult Film:Winner
- 1996CFCA Award - Best Screenplay:Nominated
- 1996Independent Spirit Award - Best Foreign Film:Nominated
- 1997Canadian Award - Best Canadian Film or Video over 60 Minutes:Winner
- 1997BSFC Award - Best Director:Nominated
- 1997Palme d'OrNominated
- 1997Grand Prize of the JuryWinner
- 1997Prize of the Ecumenical JuryWinner
- 1997FIPRESCI PrizeWinner
- 1997Jury Award - Best Film:Winner
- 1997Genie - Best Motion Picture:Winner
- 1997Genie - Best Achievement in Direction:Winner
- 1997Genie - Best Screenplay:Nominated
- 1997LAFCA Award - Best Director:Nominated
- 1997NYFCC Award - Best Director:Nominated
- 1997STFC Award - Best Screenplay, Adapted:Nominated
- 1997STFC Award - Best Director:Winner
- 1997Special Jury AwardWinner
- 1997Best Canadian Feature FilmWinner
- 1997Golden Spike - Best Film:Winner
- 1997Youth Jury Award - Competition:Winner
- 1998Oscar - Best Director:Nominated
- 1998Oscar - Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published:Nominated
- 1998CFCA Award - Best Director:Nominated
- 1998CFCA Award - Best Screenplay:Nominated
- 1998Chlotrudis Award - Best Director:Nominated
- 1998Independent Spirit Award - Best Foreign Film:Winner
- 1998Gemini - Best Direction in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series:Nominated
- 1998NSFC Award - Best Director:Nominated
- 1998NSFC Award - Best Screenplay:Nominated
- 1998OFTA Film Award - Best Canadian Film:Winner
- 1998OFTA Film Award - Best Director:Nominated
- 1998OFTA Film Award - Best Drama Picture:Nominated
- 1998OFTA Film Award - Best Picture:Nominated
- 1998Golden Satellite Award - Best Screenplay, Adapted:Nominated
- 1998SEFCA Award - Best Adapted Screenplay:Nominated
- 1998TFCA Award - Best Director:Winner
- 1998USC Scripter AwardNominated
- 1998WGC AwardWinner
- 1999Palme d'OrNominated
- 1999Sant Jordi - Best Foreign Film (Mejor Película Extranjera):Winner
- 1999Golden Spike - Best Film:Nominated
- 2000Bodil - Best Non-American Film (Bedste ikke amerikanske film):Nominated
- 2000Genie - Best Achievement in Direction:Nominated
- 2000Genie - Best Screenplay, Adapted:Winner
- 2000Golden Satellite Award - Best Screenplay, Adapted:Nominated
- 2002Golden Spike - Best Film:Nominated
- 2003DGC Team Award - Outstanding Achievement in a Feature Film:Nominated
- 2003DGC Craft Award - Outstanding Achievement in Direction - Feature Film:Nominated
- 2003Best FilmWinner
- 2003Best DirectionWinner
- 2003Genie - Best Screenplay, Original:Nominated
- 2003Genie - Best Motion Picture:Winner
- 2003VFCC Award - Best Director - Canadian Film:Nominated
- 2003WGC AwardWinner
- 2004Grand Prix - Golden Apricot - Best Film:Winner
- 2005Palme d'OrNominated
- 2006DGC Team Award - Outstanding Feature Film:Nominated
- 2006DGC Craft Award - Outstanding Direction - Feature Film:Nominated
- 2006Genie - Best Screenplay, Adapted:Winner
- 2006WGC Award - Feature Film:Nominated
- 2008Prize of the Ecumenical JuryWinner
- 2008Palme d'OrNominated
- 2008Art Cinema AwardNominated
- 2008Art Cinema Award - Special MentionWinner
- 2008Best Canadian Feature Film - Special Jury CitationWinner
- 2008Golden Spike - Best Film:Nominated
- 2010DGC Craft Award - Outstanding Achievement in Direction - Feature Film:Nominated
- 2010DGC Team Award - Outstanding Team Achievement in a Feature Film:Nominated
- 2010Genie - Best Screenplay, Original:Nominated
- 2010Festival Prize - Best Feature Film:Winner
- 2013Golden Seashell - Best Film:Nominated
- 2014Palme d'OrNominated
- 2015Canadian Screen Award - Original Screenplay:Nominated
- 2015Canadian Screen Award - Achievement in Direction:Nominated
- 2015Art Cinema AwardNominated
- 2015Best Film - International Competition:Nominated
- 2015Cinecolor Audience AwardWinner
- 2015Audience Award - World Cinema:Nominated
- 2015Best Canadian Feature FilmNominated
- 2015VFCC Award - Best Director of a Canadian Film:Nominated
- 2015Green Drop AwardNominated
- 2015Vittorio Veneto Film Festival AwardWinner
- 2015Golden LionNominated
- 2016Golden Eagle - Narrative Content: Feature - Live Action:Nominated
- 2016David - Best Foreign Film (Miglior Film Straniero):Nominated
- 2016DGC Team Award - Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film:Nominated
- 2016Jury Prize - Best Film:Winner
- 2016SIGNIS AwardNominated
- 2017Jury Prize - Best Feature Film:Winner
- 2018Felix - Best Adapted Screenplay:Nominated
- 2019Best Canadian Feature FilmNominated
- 2019Golden Lion - Best Film:Nominated
- 2023WIFF Prize in Canadian FilmNominated
- 2024VFCC Award - Best Director in a Canadian Film:Nominated
- 2025Canadian Screen Award - Achievement in Direction:Nominated
- 2025Canadian Screen Award - Adapted Screenplay:Nominated