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| I'll be rooting for The Whistleblower and Rachel Weisz come March 8th. |
It’s a big day for movies in the Commonwealth today. Earlier this morning, the British Academy of Film and Television announced the nominees for the BAFTAs (The Artist leads with 12, followed by Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with 11). More importantly, this morning marked the announcement of the 32nd annual Canadian Genie Awards, which were announced via an online webcast – the first ever, I believe. The new webcast is but one step in a massive overhaul in the Genies in order to make the awards more accessible to Canadians. The Academy also has some new changes in eligibility, which makes it easier for small Canadian films to get the recognition that they deserve, but also need to compete at the box office.
It was a good year for Canadian film and the nominees reflect that. It’s a big day for Monsieur Lazhar, Canada’s submission to the Oscar’s in the Best Foreign Language Film category, which earned 9 nominations and is quickly approaching the 2 million dollar mark at the Canadian box office. (Ottawans can see it just in time for the Oscars when it opens at The ByTowne February 24th.) The film that should have been our Oscar pick, Café de Flore, leads the nominees with 13 citations, followed by David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method with 11. I’m most excited about the love for The Whistleblower, which received noms for Pic, Director, Screenplay, Actress, and Supporting Actress. I’m disappointed that Sarah Polley’s Take this Waltz didn’t get a better showing, although it seems to be a polarizing film, so at least Michelle Williams is nominated for Best Actress.
Best Film
A DANGEROUS METHOD - Martin Katz, Marco Mehlitz, Jeremy Thomas
CAFÉ DE FLORE - Pierre Even, Marie-Claude Poulin, Jean-Marc Vallée
MONSIEUR LAZHAR - Luc Déry, Kim McCraw
STARBUCK - André Rouleau
THE WHISTLEBLOWER - Christina Piovesan, Celine Rattray
Best Director
David Cronenberg, A DANGEROUS METHOD
Steven Silver, THE BANG BANG CLUB
Jean Marc Vallée, CAFÉ DE FLORE
Philippe Falardeau, MONSIEUR LAZHAR
Larysa Kondracki, THE WHISTLEBLOWER
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Catherine De Léan, NUIT #1
Pascale Monpetit, THE GIRL IN THE WHITE COAT
Vanessa Paradis, CAFÉ DE FLORE
Rachel Weisz, THE WHITSTLEBLOWER
Michelle Williams, TAKE THIS WALTZ
*Where’s Keira Knightley?
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Garret Dillahunt, OLIVER SHERMAN
Michael Fassbender, A DANGEROUS METHOD
Fellag, MONSIER LAZHAR
Patrick Huard, STARBUCK
Scott Speedman, EDWIN BOYD
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Antoine Bertrand, STARBUCK
Kevin Durand, EDWIN BOYD
Martin Gerrier, CAFÉ DE FLORE
Taylor Kitsch, THE BANG BANG CLUB
Viggo Mortensen, A DANGEROUS METHOD
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Roxana Condurache, THE WHISTLEBLOWER
Hélène Florent, CAFÉ DE FLORE
Julie Lebreton, STARBUCK
Sophie Nelisse, MONSIEUR LAZHAR
Charlotte Sullivan, EDWIN BOYD
*No Martha Burns or Jayne Eastwood?! Criminal.
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
ANNE ÉMOND - Nuit #1
EILIS KIRWAN, LARYSA KONDRACKI - The Whistleblower
KEN SCOTT, MARTIN PETIT - Starbuck
JEAN-MARC VALLÉE - Café de Flore
RYAN WARD, MATTHEW HEITI - Son of the Sunshine
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
PHILIPPE FALARDEAU - Monsieur Lazhar
RYAN REDFORD - Oliver Sherman
DAVID SHAMOON - In Darkness
STEVEN SILVER - The Bang Bang Club
Best Art Direction
JEAN BÉCOTTE - Funkytown
AIDAN LEROUX, ROB HEPBURN - Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster
JAMES MCATEER - A Dangerous Method
PATRICE VERMETTE - Café de Flore
EMELIA WEAVIND - The Bang Bang Club
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
MIROSLAW BASZAK, C.S.C. - The Bang Bang Club
PIERRE COTTEREAU - Café de Flore
JON JOFFIN - Daydream Nation
JEAN-FRANÇOIS LORD - Snow & Ashes
RONALD PLANTE - Monsieur Lazhar
ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
DENISE CRONENBERG - A Dangerous Method
FARNAZ KHAKI-SADIGH - Afghan Luke
GINETTE MAGNY, EMMANUELLE YOUCHNOVSKI - Café de Flore
HEATHER NEALE - Keyhole
MARIE-CHANTALE VAILLANCOURT – Funkytown
ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING
JEAN-FRANÇOIS BERGERON - The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom
MICHAEL CZARNECKI - In Darkness
PATRICK DEMERS - Jaloux
STÉPHANE LAFLEUR - Monsieur Lazhar
RONALD SANDERS, C.C.E. A.C.E. - A Dangerous Method
ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP
CHRISTIANE FATTORI, FRÉDÉRIC MARIN - Café de Flore
AMBER MAKAR - Amazon Falls
VIRGINIE PARÉ - BumRush
TAMMY LOU PATE - Snow & Ashes
LESLIE ANN SEBERT, DAVID R. BEECROFT - Take This Waltz
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SCORE
RAMACHANDRA BORCAR - Jaloux
MYCHAEL DANNA - The Whistleblower
MARTIN LÉON - Monsieur Lazhar
PHILIP MILLER - The Bang Bang Club
HOWARD SHORE - A Dangerous Method
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SONG
JAY BRANNAN - Cloudburst - My Love My Love
CAROLE FACAL - Starbuck - Quelque part
MALAJUBE - Good Neighbours - Oeil pour Oeil
STEVEN PAGE - French Immersion - A Different Sort of Solitude
JEAN ROBITAILLE, STEVE GALLUCCIO - Funkytown - Waiting for your Touch
ACHIEVEMENT IN OVERALL SOUND
STÉPHANE BERGERON, YANN CLEARY, LISE WEDLOCK - Marécages / Wetlands
PIERRE BERTRAND, SHAUN NICHOLAS GALLAGHER, BERNARD GARIÉPY STROBL - Monsieur
Lazhar
JEAN MINONDO, JOCELYN CARON, GAVIN FERNANDES, LOUIS GIGNAC - Café de Flore
LOU SOLAKOFSKI, STEPHAN CARRIER, KIRK LYNDS - The Bang Bang Club
OREST SUSHKO, CHRISTIAN COOKE - A Dangerous Method
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING
FRED BRENNAN, JAMES BASTABLE, GABE KNOX, JOHN SIEVERT - You Are Here
CLAUDE BEAUGRAND, OLIVIER CALVERT, NATALIE FLEURANT, FRANCINE POIRIER -
Marécages / Wetlands
WAYNE GRIFFIN, ROB BERTOLA, TONY CURRIE, ANDY MALCOLM, MICHAEL O'FARRELL - A
Dangerous Method
MARTIN PINSONNAULT, BLAISE BLANCHIER, SIMON MEILLEUR, MIREILLE MORIN,
LUC RAYMOND - Café de Flore
JEREMY MACLAVERTY, DANIEL PELLERIN, GEOFF RAFFAN, JAN RUDY, JOHN SIEVERT,
JAMES MARK STEWART - In Darkness
ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS
DENNIS BERARDI, MATHEW BORNETT, MIKE BORRETT, WILSON CAMERON, OVI CINAZIN,
JASON EDWARDH, OLIVER HEARSEY, JIM PRICE, MILAN SCHERE, WOLCIECH ZIELINSKI - A
Dangerous Method
ÉVE BRUNET, JACQUES LÉVESQUE, PHILIPPE ROBERGE - Snow & Ashes
MARC CÔTÉ, STÉPHANIE BROUSSAUD, GARY CHUNTZ, VINCENT DUDOUET,
CYNTHIA MOUROU, ERIC NORMANDIN, MARTIN PENSA, LUC SANFAÇON, SYLVAIN THÉROUX,
NATHALIE TREMBLAY - Café de Flore
GEOFFROY LAUZON – BumRush
TOM TURNBULL, IAN BRITTON, ROBERT CROWTHER, TONY CYBULSKI - Edwin Boyd: Citizen
Gangster
BEST FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY
BEAUTY DAY - Jay Cheel, Kristina McLaughlin, Kevin McMahon, Roman Pizzacalla
FAMILY PORTRAIT IN BLACK AND WHITE - Julia Ivanova, Boris Ivanov
THE GUANTANAMO TRAP - Thomas Wallner, Amit Breuer, Patrick Crowe
LA NUIT, ELLES DANSENT / AT NIGHT, THEY DANCE - Isabelle Lavigne, Stéphane Thibault,
Lucie Lambert
WIEBO'S WAR - David York, Nick Hector, C.C.E., Bryn Hughes, Bonnie Thompson
BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
75 WATTS - John Cullen
DERAILMENTS - Chelsea McMullan
SIRMILIK - Zacharias Kunuk, Joel McConvey, Kristina McLaughlin, Kevin McMahon,
Michael McMahon, Geoff Morrison, Ryan J. Noth
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT DRAMA
DOUBLES WITH SLIGHT PEPPER - Ian Harnarine
HOPE - Pedro Pires, Phoebe Greenberg, Penny Mancuso
ORA - René Chénier, Philippe Baylaucq
LA RONDE - Élaine Hébert, Sophie Goyette
BEST ANIMATED SHORT
CHOKE - Michelle Latimer
LA CITÉ ENTRE LES MURS / INNER CITY - Alain Fournier
MUYBRIDGE'S STRINGS - Koji Yamamura, Michael Fukushima, Shuzo John Shiota,
Keisuke Tsuchihashi
ROMANCE - Georges Schwizgebel, René Chénier, Marc Bertrand
WILD LIFE - Amanda Forbis, Wendy Tilby, Marcy Page, Bonnie Thompson
Very good nominees overall, I’d say. I’ve actually seen most of these – Edwin Boyd is the biggest gap – so I’ll be back with picks and predictions before the nominees are handed out in Toronto on March 8th. The awards will be broadcast that day on CBC at 8pm.
Congrats!
See genieawards.ca for full lists and details and check tags/sidebar for reviews of nominees