Jutra goes to Polley

Sarah Polley can add yet another award to the list for her debut feature Away from Her, which has earned the Claude Jutra prize from this year’s Genie Awards.

The annual award, named for the celebrated Quebec auteur, recognizes outstanding achievement by a first-time feature film director, and will be presented to Polley on March 3, following a Tuesday announcement from the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television.

The film has garnered seven Genie nominations, including best picture, director and performance for stars Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent.

The Toronto filmmaker also has a shot at an Academy Award on Sunday, where she is up for adapted screenplay. Christie is also nom’d for her role as Fiona, a woman with Alzheimer’s. The 66-year-old British star has already collected performance awards from the Screen Actors Guild and the Golden Globes, though she lost out to Marion Cotillard at the BAFTAs earlier this month.