Best Performance Award Winners 2025

The Kim Renders Memorial Awards for Best Performance is decided by a jury of local, 2SLGBTQ+ -identifying, performing artists.  The awards are dedicated to the memory of Kim Renders, a great friend and ally to our festival who was taken from the world far too soon and left an incredible void.   We honour Kim for the work she did with marginalized communities, for inspiring folks to find their inner thespian, and for her fiery and creative activism.

The Jury

Trevor Campbell  is a four-time Canadian Podcast Award-winning host, writer, and comedian. A frequent voice on Canada’s CBC Radio, he is the creator of the podcasts You Made Me Queer!, about 2SLGBTQIA+ origin stories, and Queerial, a true crime-ish whodunit with a twist (The Sonar Network). When not in the recording booth, he can be found moderating interviews and panels at major literary and pop culture festivals across North America while in pursuit of that one perfect sandwich.
Leanna Williams is a multi-disciplinary artist from Treaty 4 Territory (Regina, SK), now based in Kingston, ON. She is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada and recent credits include Peter Pan (Globe Theatre), Macbeth (A Company of Fools), and Perky (NotaBle Acts). Leanna will also be directing a production of Unity (1918) with Domino Theatre this spring, stay tuned!
Michael Catlin has been involved in theatre for about 40 years directing , acting and producing. He has also appeared in two feature films and some student works over the years.

The 2025 Winners

Best Lead Performance 

Andrea Aldana (La Arriera/The Muleteer)

Lane Webber (We Forgot to Break Up)

Best Supporting Performance

Nathan Haggege (Dracula est Amoureux/Love Bites)

Hallea Jones (We Forgot to Break Up)

Congratulations to all of the winners and thank you to the Jury!