Canada was shut out of the 55th annual Emmy Awards televised gala on Sept. 21, but Canadian producers and service providers snagged a few trophies in the creative arts (craft) categories presented in the days leading up to the ceremony.

Up against U.S. faves like The Osbournes and Trading Spaces, Montreal-based Galafilm’s Cirque Du Soleil: The Fire Within won outstanding nonfiction program (alternative). The beneficiaries of the win are executive producers Arnie Gelbart, Marie Cote, Vincent Gagne, Christian Barcellos and Amy Introcaso-Davis, and producers Martin Bolduc and Sylvia Wilson.

The Alliance Atlantis-produced miniseries Hitler: The Rise of Evil was up for seven prizes and came away with two. The first, sound editing for a miniseries, MOW or special, was shared by supervising sound editors Tom Bjelic and John Douglas Smith; sound editors Allan Fung, Paul Shikata, Rob Bertola, Garrett Kerr and Anthony Currie; music editor Craig Pattigrew; and foley artists Donna Powell and Marina Adam.

Having bested some pretty heavy hitters for the prize, Bjelic and Smith (partners with Fung in Toronto audio post shop Critical Post), are understandably proud of their Emmy achievement. They say the win goes to show that neither size nor nationality matter in the audio post world as long as the talent of the artists comes through on the tube.

‘The experience was amazing in that we didn’t really expect to go down and win,’ says Bjelic. ‘When you’re going up against a [Steven] Spielberg show [Taken, another nominee], you tend not to think you have a shot at winning.’

‘We’re really hoping it helps us in the future for potential clients and people wanting to work with us, ‘ adds Smith.

Hitler also won in the outstanding art direction heat, with the international team of Marek Dobrowolski (L.A.), Albert Konrad (Germany), Karel Vanasek (Prague) and Martin Martinec (Prague) getting the trophy. AAC won a pair of awards for its CSI and CSI: Miami, garnering best sound editing in a dramatic series and best cinematography in a single-camera series (Michael D. O’Shea), respectively.

The TNT MOW Door to Door, which was shot in Vancouver, did well by its largely B.C.-based crew at the Emmys. In addition to winning best MOW, best actor in a miniseries, MOW or special (William H. Macy), and direction and writing in its categories, it also won Charles Porlier and Jayne Dancose the outstanding makeup in a miniseries, MOW or special prize, and Julie McHaffie the best hairstyling award.

Also recognized was the Canada/U.K./France copro Napoleon, which won Pierre-Jean Larroque of France the award for outstanding costumes in a miniseries, MOW or special.

-www.emmys.tv