You could almost smell burning rubber as the CHUM Television awards show machine recently announced it was pulling up stakes at the Metro Toronto Convention Center and parking itself at The Carlu, a more glamorous T.O. venue, for the 26th Annual Genie Awards on March 13.

After having doubled its viewership last year in its second spin as Genie-caster, CHUM is also laying to rest the sit-down dinner component of the gala and replacing it with a full-on party awards show (see story, below), a format it has perfected through event telecasts such as the MuchMusic Video Awards and the TIFF Schmooze.

‘The whole idea is that we’ll be focusing on the party surrounding the Genies,’ says Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television chair Paul Gratton, who is also VP, entertainment specialty channels at CHUM. ‘It makes sense to do that in a club environment, as opposed to the traditional convention center, which is not a party venue. One of the things we’ve noticed is that the red-carpet coverage of most of the major awards shows is starting to get better ratings than the shows themselves.’

Part of the impetus behind the format change is the surging Quebec New Wave, which has relegated English-Canadian films to a minority position in the major categories at the Genies. The last year to see a bumper crop of English films among the best pic nominees was 1999, which featured Sunshine, The Five Senses, Felicia’s Journey and eXistenZ. And traditionally, even the top English-Canadian movies don’t have huge ticket sales on their home turf.

‘With the Genies, you’ve got this television obstacle where you’re essentially going into the marketplace with a lot of movies that haven’t done particularly well in English Canada,’ Gratton says. ‘That’s a challenge.’

And despite this year’s high number of French-Canadian films that have generated big box office in Quebec (nine have surpassed $1 million), most are virtually unknown outside the province. This year’s Oscars share a similar challenge, with five best pic nominees boasting relatively average box office yet high indie appeal, an observation that prompts Gratton to compare the Genies to the Independent Spirit Awards, which celebrates excellence in film expression that’s not studio product, and is outside of the mainstream.

‘At the end of the day, I know the ratings would go through the roof if there was a juggernaut mega-hit that was being honored,’ notes Gratton. ‘But we don’t have one. It’s a new format, and I think it’s going to be more television-friendly. People who might not want to sit down for two hours of speeches about movies they haven’t heard of might well be intrigued to tune in for an hour of glamorous gowns and excited winners.’

While this year isn’t markedly different vis-à-vis a strong Quebec contingent, which includes C.R.A.Z.Y. (12 noms) and L’Audition and Familia (seven noms each), three of the five best motion picture finalists hail from English Canada (Water and Saint Ralph from Ontario, and It’s All Gone Pete Tong from B.C.).

‘Compared to some years, this is a very high-level lineup of pictures,’ says Gratton. ‘All five of the best picture [nominees] are movies I would stand by. And I’d say there are probably a few that didn’t make the cut that would have in any other year.’

Of the best pic competitors, Deepa Mehta’s poetic Water broke $2 million at the box office and has nine nominations, including best pic, while C.R.A.Z.Y.’s $6 million-plus in Quebec ticket sales should earn it the Golden Reel Award, and it is otherwise in the running in every major category.

The pack also includes Michael McGowan’s uplifting Saint Ralph, Louise Archambault’s Familia – which has both Macha Grenon and Sylvie Moreau vying for best actress – and Michael Dowse’s It’s All Gone Pete Tong, which critic Roger Ebert says ‘works because of its heedless comic intensity.’

Although Genie darlings Atom Egoyan and David Cronenberg both had films out in 2005 (Where the Truth Lies and A History of Violence, respectively), neither is on the best picture short list. Violence has a pair of Academy Award noms (see story, p. 30), but the New Line Cinema-backed film, despite having been considered Canadian in Cannes, is not eligible according to the Academy, which, Gratton says, for its own sanity, ‘[hides] behind the official certification rules – a process that’s outside of itself.’

He adds that ‘if A History Of Violence was certified Canadian for broadcast purposes, then – joy to the world – it would qualify for the Genies.’

Also notable for their absence are a pair of high-flying Quebec hockey films, Les Boys IV and Maurice Richard. Both were eligible, but their producers chose to opt out of the running. Richard has scooped 14 Prix Jutra noms (tying it with C.R.A.Z.Y.) and should get a fairly wide release in English Canada, under the title The Rocket, in March. Producer Denise Robert, whose Aurore is up for five Genies, decided to hold it back until next year, says Gratton.

‘It’s a fair option, I guess, if she sees the Genies as being part of the marketing and positioning in English Canada,’ he notes.

Given the number of Quebecois films nominated and the Genies’ scheduling proximity to the Prix Jutra (March 19) – as well as the Academy Awards (March 5) – one might think CHUM and the Academy would opt for a different ceremony date to avoid movie awards show burnout.

‘It’s never been much of a debate,’ Gratton responds. ‘All the awards shows are lined up like airplanes trying to land at LaGuardia.’

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