The Genie Awards

Since 1980, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television has served to unify the country's film industry by honouring and showcasing outstanding achievements in Canadian cinema with the annual presentation of The Genie Awards. For three decades, the Genies – like the Canadian Film Awards before them – have celebrated and affirmed Canada's national cinema. Promoting all facets of film, the Genies have evolved over the years, introducing new awards categories to reflect the ongoing growth and development of the industry.

In order to be eligible for The Genie Awards, a film is required to qualify as a Canadian film production or co-production (as defined by CAVCO and/or CRTC criteria) and have had a theatrical release in Canada between January 1 and December 31 of the previous year.

The Genie Awards are based on a peer-voting system. Each year, Academy members, filmmakers, critics, and other industry professionals, are invited to sit on nominating committees. These committees review all submissions to determine nominations across a range of awards categories. The nominations are then voted upon by members of the Academy's Cinema division. Each member is eligible to vote for categories directly related to his/her membership branch (ie. editors vote in the editing category), as well as Best Motion Picture, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.

In 2010, the Academy will introduce online voting, enabling members to view and vote for nominated films on a private and secure website hosted by Zip.ca. Results will be tabulated by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Academy's official ballot auditors.

The Genie Awards Statuette

In 1968, award-winning sculptor Sorel Etrog was commissioned to create a statuette for the Canadian Film Awards and produced the striking bronze figure known as “The Etrog”. Renamed “The Genie” in 1980, the statuette exemplifies the artist's interest in the concept of growth. It is, according to Etrog, a standing figure whose focus of energy is concentrated in the upper part of the body, thus reflecting the process involved in transforming an idea or concept into a visual reality.

The Genie statuette, gold-plated bronze mounted on a marble base, stands 14 inches tall and weighs in at 14 pounds!

About the ACCT

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is 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, and today unifying industry professionals across Canada, the Academy has grown to become a vital and integral force representing these industries. Our mandate is to:

• • Honour outstanding achievements
• Heighten public awareness and increase audience attendance and appreciation of Canadian film and television productions through its national Award programs: The Genie Awards, The Gemini Awards and Les Prix Gémeaux
• rovide high-quality and creative professional development programs

Structure

A volunteer twenty-two member National Board of Directors oversees the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. The organization is supported by extensive volunteer work on national and regional boards and committees both standing and ad hoc and within the award processes. The administration is led by the President and CEO with offices in Vancouver, Toronto and Montréal.