Friday, February 16----At a gala ceremony in Toronto earlier this week, the Canadian film industry celebrated its best year to date at the 2007 Genie Awards. The much anticipated event was held at The Carlu in Toronto's theater district, which was immediately followed by Live! At The Genies, a one-hour broadcast on CHUM Television and MusiMax that showcased the night’s memorable moments in a live, schmooze-style atmosphere.

The Genie Awards are presented by and voted on by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, a national, non-profit, professional association dedicated to the promotion, recognition and celebration of exceptional achievements in the Canadian film and television industries.  Created in 1979, the Academy today has over 4,000 members.

The suprise winner for Best Film was BON COP, BAD COP by Kevin Tierney. The thriller tells the story of a crime that is committed on the border of Quebec and Ontario, and the antagonistic English and French-speaking police have to find a way to work together. As the investigation gets underway, two cops, one Quebecois, the other Ontarian, are thrown in together and the sparks do fly. The film, a box office sensation in both Quebec and the rest of Canada, also won awards for Best Sound Design and the Golden Reel (Prix Bobine D'Or) Award.

The night's big winner was THE ROCKET, a biopic of the legendary hockey star Maurice Richard (1921-2000), a gold-scoring champion of the beloved Montreal Canadiens hockey team. The film won nine Genies, out of the 13 nominations that it received. The film won awards for Art Direction, Costume Design, Cinematography, Editing, Sound Editing, as well as top prizes for its director Charles Biname, and its leading actors (Roy Dupuis as Best Lead Actor, Julie Le Breto as Best Lead Actress and Stephen McHattie as Best Supporting Actor).

Best Documentary honors went to the film MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES, a fascinating look at the effect of modern architecture and factory buildings on the natural landscape. This visually stunning film competed last month at the Sundance Film Festival in the World Documentary section. Finally, the Best Animated Short Film was given to THE DANISH POET by Torill Kove. The film is also nominated for an Oscar.

For a complete list of winners, log on to the Genies Awards website: http://www.genieawards.ca

Sandy Mandelberger, Awards Watch Editor