Andrew Rai Berzins is a Canadian film and television writer. He is most noted as cowriter with

Andrew Wreggitt Andrew Wreggitt (born 1955) is a Canadian television writer and producer from Calgary, Alberta.Ken McGoogan, "Wreggitt keeps poetic fire burning". ''Calgary Herald'', February 21, 1998. He began his career as a writer for the television series ''Th ...

of the television film '' Borealis'', for which they won the

Canadian Screen Award The Canadian Screen Awards () are awards given for artistic and technical merit in the film industry recognizing excellence in Canadian film, English-language television, and digital media ( web series) productions. Given annually by the Academy ...

for Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Miniseries at the

2nd Canadian Screen Awards The 2nd Canadian Screen Awards were held on March 9, 2014, to honour achievements in Canadian film, television, and digital media production in 2013.Goose Lane Editions Goose Lane Editions is a Canadian Publishing, book publishing company founded in 1954 in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick as Fiddlehead Poetry Books by Fred Cogswell and a group of students and faculty from the University of ...

in 1994. The following year

Holly Dale Holly Dale (born December 23, 1953) is a Canadian filmmaker and television director. Over the course of her career, Dale has worked in the Canadian film and television industry as a director, producer, writer, and editor. Although she has compl ...

directed Berzins's first screenplay, ''

Blood and Donuts ''Blood and Donuts'' is a 1995 Canadian supernatural comedy horror film directed by Holly Dale, written by Andrew Rai Berzins, and starring Gordon Currie and Helene Clarkson. David Cronenberg plays a cameo role as the local crime boss. The film ...

'', for which Berzins received a

Genie Award The Genie Awards were given out annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize the best of Canadian cinema from 1980–2012. They succeeded the Canadian Film Awards (1949–1978), known as the "Etrog Awards" for sculptor ...

nomination for

Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best ...

at the

17th Genie Awards The 17th Genie Awards were held on November 27, 1996, to honour films released in late 1995 and 1996. They were the ''second'' Genie Award ceremony held in that year; the 16th Genie Awards were delayed from the fall of 1995 and took place in Ja ...

in 1996."Over-the-edge Canadian films poised for Genie nod".

Canadian Press The Canadian Press (CP; , ) is a Canadian national news agency headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Established in 1917 as a vehicle for Canadian newspapers to exchange news and information, The Canadian Press has been a private, not-for-profit c ...

, November 24, 1996. In the same era, he was a writer for the television series ''

Straight Up Various unique terms are used in bartending. Definitions and usage Straight, up, and straight up In bartending, the terms "straight up" and "up" ordinarily refer to an alcoholic drink that is shaken or stirred with ice and then strained and ...

''. He received three

Gemini Award The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's English-language television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in t ...

nominations for Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series in the 2000s at the

16th Gemini Awards The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television's 16th Gemini Awards were held on October 29, 2001, to honour achievements in Canadian television. The awards show, which was hosted by Mike Bullard, took place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre a ...

in 2001 for '' Scorn'', at the

18th Gemini Awards The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television's 18th Gemini Awards were held on October 20, 2003, to honour achievements in Canadian television. The awards show, which was hosted by Seán Cullen, took place at the John Bassett Theatre and was bro ...

in 2003 for ''Chasing Cain II: Face'', and at the

19th Gemini Awards The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television's 19th Gemini Awards were held on December 13, 2004, to honour achievements in Canadian television. The awards show, which was co-hosted by several celebrities, took place at the John Bassett Theatre an ...

in 2004 for ''Cowboys and Indians: The J.J. Harper Story''. He has also been a two-time

WGC Screenwriting Award The WGC Screenwriting Awards (previously Canadian Screenwriting Awards) are administered by the Writers Guild of Canada, and are awarded to the best script for a feature film, television or radio project produced within the Guild's jurisdiction, ...

winner, in 1997 for ''Straight Up'' and in 2001 for ''Scorn'',"Da Vinci, Made In Canada writers win awards". ''

Telegraph-Journal The ''Telegraph-Journal'' is a daily newspaper published in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, owned by Postmedia Network. It serves as both a provincial daily and as a local newspaper for Saint John. The ''Telegraph-Journal'' is the only New ...

'', April 10, 2001. and was a nominee in 2000 for ''

Cold Squad ''Cold Squad'' is a Canadian police procedural television series that premiered on CTV on January 23, 1998, at 10 p.m., and ran for seven seasons. Led by Sergeant Ali McCormick ( Julie Stewart), a team of homicide detectives from the Vancouver P ...

'' and in 2006 for ''

Beowulf & Grendel ''Beowulf & Grendel'' is a 2005 Canadian- Icelandic fantasy adventure film directed by Sturla Gunnarsson, loosely based on the Anglo-Saxon epic poem ''Beowulf''. It stars Gerard Butler as Beowulf, Stellan Skarsgård as Hrothgar, Ingvar Eggert Si ...

''. His other credits have included the television series ''

North of 60 ''North of 60'' is a 1990s Canadian television drama depicting life in the sub-Arctic northern boreal forest (north of 60° north latitude, hence the title). It first aired on CBC Television in 1992 and was syndicated around the world. It is se ...

'' and '' Tom Stone'', and the documentary film '' Passage''.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Berzins, Andrew Rai 20th-century Canadian screenwriters 20th-century Canadian short story writers 20th-century Canadian male writers 21st-century Canadian screenwriters 21st-century Canadian male writers Canadian male screenwriters Canadian male short story writers Canadian male television writers Canadian television writers Canadian Screen Award winning writers Living people Year of birth missing (living people)