Montreal: Maelstrom, Denis Villeneuve’s internationally acclaimed story of redemption, swept this year’s Prix Jutra awards, winning in all eight categories for which it received a nomination.

Adding to its tidy collection of five Genie Awards, including best motion picture, Maelstrom won the Prix Jutra for best picture (producers Roger Frappier and Luc Vandal of Max Films), director, lead actress (Marie-Josee Croze), art direction, screenplay, cinematography (Andre Turpin), picture editing (Richard Comeau) and sound.

What was left of the Jutra trophies in the theatrical categories went to La Moitie gauche du frigo, which earned Paul Ahmarani the best actor award, and Full Blast and Hochelaga, winners in both supporting actor categories. Les Muses Orphelines won for best music, composers Michel Donato and James Gelfand.

The Prix Jutra for best documentary went to the irrepressible Werner Volkmer for A la recherche de Louis Archambault. Normand Bergeron won in the best short film category for Inseparables, while Michele Cournoyer won the best animation Jutra for the haunting National Film Short Le Chapeau.

This year’s Jutra-Hommage was awarded to the multi-talented and deeply admired Gilles Carle.

Broadcast on Reseau TVA Sunday, Feb. 25, La Soiree des Jutra generally lacked some of the excitement, glamour and, to put it bluntly, the sort of cheap thrills once commonly associated with movie award shows. However, the Jutra gala recorded an excellent average audience of 946,000, according to data from Nielsen, peaking at 1.2 million as the curtain went up then slipping to 674,000 by the end of the evening.

First released in theatres on Sept. 15, Maelstrom has been presented in festivals in North America and Europe, winning major honors in Toronto and Montreal and most recently at last month’s Berlin Film Festival, where it received the Fipresci international press prize.

Distrib Alliance Atlantis Vivafilm expanded the film’s rerelease to 11 screens, Friday, March 2. *