A Quebec film about child soldiers in Africa has won the Best Picture award at the inaugural Canadian Screen Awards.

Rebelle or War Witch was also Canada’s entry in the foreign-language category at the Academy Awards.

Rebelle took ten prizes in all, including best director and best screenplay for Kim Nguyen. And 16-year-old Rachel Mwanza won best actress award. She was living as a street child in the Congo after being abandoned by her parents when she was cast in Rebelle. She couldn’t read or write at the time, but Nguyen and the others behind the film have been looking after her education and housing since then.

Rebelle also won the Berlin Film Festival’s “Golden Bear” Award last year.

Director Sarah Polley won the best feature documentary prize for Stories We Tell.

The Canadian Screen Awards are a combination of the Geminis and Genies.