Tribute Salutes The 2012 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.