Discounting the previously-announced Claude Jutra Award that Sarah Polley won for her achievements as a first-time feature film director, her film Away from Her took home six of the seven Genies it was nominated for.
* Best Picture
* Best Director (Sarah)
* Best Actor (Gordon Pinsent)
* Best Actress (Julie Christie)
* Best Supporting Actress (Kristen Thompson)
* Best Adapted Screenplay (Sarah)
There was also a bit of a political bent to the ceremony. Many winners and presenters, including Sarah, spoke out against the proposed “Bill C-10″, which would allow the Canadian government to deny tax credits to films and TV series that it considers “offensive or not in the public interest”. It is currently before the Senate.
Polley described the proposed bill as “terrifying” and said it “flies in the face of what we should be looking toward in a civilized nation.”
“Sex and violence are part of the world we live in,” she said after the ceremony. “It’s the job of an artist to talk about the world we live in.”
Genie Awards
CBC Arts
…Sarah Polley!
The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, which is responsible for the Genie Awards, announced today that Sarah Polley would be this year’s recipient of the Claude Jutra Award, which is given out every year at the awards gala to a first-time feature film director, and is named for the late Quebec-based director Claude Jutra.
Away from Her is up for seven Genies, including two nominations for Sarah — Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. She is also up for an Academy Award for her screenplay.
The Genies will be handed out on March 3 in Toronto and will air on both the Canadian versions of E! and IFC.
28th Annual Genie Awards
E! (Canada)
IFC (Canada)
Sarah Polley’s directorial debut Away from Her is up for seven Genie Awards this year in the following categories…
* Best Picture
* Best Director (Sarah Polley)
* Best Actor in a Leading Role (Gordon Pinsent)
* Best Actress in a Leading Role (Julie Christie)
* Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Kristen Thompson)
* Best Editing (David Wharnsby)
* Best Adapted Screenplay (Sarah Polley)
The winners of the special awards — the Golden Reel Award (presented to the Canadian film with the highest box office gross) and the Claude Jutra Award (presented to a first-time director) — have not been announced yet. The Genies will be handed out on March 3 in Toronto. Right now it is unknown whether or not it will be televised.
Genie Awards
…Julie Christie, for her performance in Sarah Polley’s Away from Her.
Congratulations!
SAG Awards ~ Complete List of Winners
Youtube: Julie Christie’s acceptance speech
As many film critics and columnists predicted, Julie Christie is among the Oscar nominees for Best Actress for her role in Away from Her.
However, she is not the only one up for an award. Sarah Polley herself is up for Best Adapted Screenplay, for her adaption of Alice Munroe’s short story The Bear Came Over the Mountain. Sarah is the first main Road to Avonlea cast member to receive an Oscar nomination.
The Academy Awards will be handed out on February 24 on ABC. Whether or not it will be a full-on gala or something watered down a la this year’s Golden Globes is yet to be seen.
UPDATE! (Jan. 23): Variety has reactions from both nominees. Here’s what Sarah had to say…
“I’m in total disbelief. I’m thrilled but kind of in shock too. It’s been such a strange year and I’m bowled over by the life of the film. It’s more than I could have ever hoped. This now adds a very surreal element to it.”
And an excerpt from Julie Christie’s response…
“What’s most gratifying to me is Sarah Polley getting a nomination for screenplay adaptation. I was afraid she wouldn’t be recognized. I wondered if they were going to get this great piece of work. I’m very glad I did it because it’s a terribly important issue. We’ve got to face the fact that we’re living longer. This is the comeuppance of wishing for immortality. . . .”
Nominees for the 80th Annual Academy Awards
Variety
