30th Annual Genie Awards Announced

Denis Villeneuve’s film Polytechnique — based on the true events known as the “Montreal Massacre” that happened at Montreal’s Ecole Polytechnique in December 1989, leads the 30th Annual Genie Awards nominations with 11, including Best Picture and Best Director. Charles Officier’s Nurse.Fighter.Boy earned the second most nominations with 10.

From the press release:

TORONTO, March 1, 2010 — The nominations for the 30th Annual Genie Awards were announced today by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television at a press conference in Toronto hosted by Gordon Pinsent (three-time Genie Award-winner) and Tatiana Maslany (Special Jury Prize, Sundance 2010 – Grown Up Movie Star). Leading the pack with 11 nominations is Polytechnique, including nods for Best Motion Picture and Best Direction. Following closely behind are NURSE.FIGHTER.BOY (ten nominations), Before Tomorrow (nine), Grande Ourse: La clé des possibles / The Master Key (eight) and Fifty Dead Men Walking (seven).

“This year’s nominations reflect a national cinema that is courageous in its storytelling,” says Sara Morton, CEO of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. “They are films created from the wealth of cultures, communities, and historical moments that make up the Canadian identity. As the Genie Awards celebrate its 30th anniversary, these nominees will remind us of why it is as important as ever to celebrate and cherish the best of Canadian film.”

Read the full release here [PDF]. The 30th Annual Genie Awards are handed out in Toronto on Monday, April 12, 2010.