Seventeen countries will be represented among 14 categories for the 24th Banff Rockie Awards, to be presented June 9 at Banff2003.

Industry veteran Trina McQueen has been named president of this year’s seven-member international jury, which will select the winners.

Of the 83 nominations, the U.S. leads all nations with 18, followed by the U.K. with 15. Both also share a few extra credits for coproductions.

Closer to home, Canadian programming was represented with nine nominations, including Ludovic: Visiting Grandpa from the National Film Board and Henry’s World: Darwin for a Day, a Canada/U.K./U.S. copro from AAC Kids and Loonland UK in association with Cuppa Coffee and Family Channel, in the animated programs category.

Claude Jutra: An Unfinished Story, coproduced by Production Docu 2, Fox-Fire Films and the NFB, has a shot in the arts documentaries category, while 100 Days in the Jungle from ImagiNation Film & Television Productions, Sextant Entertainment and CTV was named among the made-for-TV movie noms. In short dramas, Canada has one nom – Not a Fish Story from Avalanche Films and Indio Pictures.

Canada’s best hopes appear to ride in the best sports program category, where national producers make up three of five nominees. They are The Circus is in Town – 50 Years of Hockey Night in Canada from CBC; The Hockey Nomad from Mercury Films and House on Fire Productions; and Nos Amours – The Saga of the Montreal Expos from Adobe Productions.

Canada/U.K. copro Le Mozart Noir – Reviving a Legend from Media Headquarters, in association with CBC, BBC and TV5, is nominated in the performance category.

France also earned nine noms while Germany scored eight.

Other awards to be presented include the $25,000 NHK President’s Prize for best HDTV entry, the $50,000 Global Television Grand Prize for best of festival and two Special Jury Prizes.

-www.banfftvfest.com