Unlike recent years, English Canada dominated the 28th Genie Awards, with Away from Her and Eastern Promises taking the lion’s share of the prizes, though Sarah Polley’s drama edged out the David Cronenberg thriller for most of the major awards, including best motion picture honors.

The gala, held March 3 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, marked the first time since 2003’s Ararat that an English-Canadian feature was named best film.

But despite the cheers, the evening was also marked by sharp and repeated criticism of Bill C-10, which would grant the federal government the power to deny tax credits to films or TV shows that contain content deemed to be offensive. The topic dominated both the speeches on stage and the backstage chatter with the press.

Host Sandra Oh told the crowd that censorship ‘has had a little work done and is trying to make a comeback.’

‘It doesn’t sound very Canadian to me…let’s stop it,’ the Grey’s Anatomy star said to cheers from the audience.

Heritage Minister Josée Verner, now in the middle of the storm over C-10, cancelled her appearance at the Genies at the last minute.

Senator Roméo Dallaire – the subject of the nominated film Shake Hands with the Devil, and who was on hand to present the documentary Genie – made no bones about his opposition to the bill, telling filmmakers ‘C-10 hasn’t made it through the Senate yet.’

Afterwards, he expressed to reporters his concern about ‘right-wing conservatism’ within the government.

The Hamilton, ON-shot Away from Her won in each category in which it was nominated, including adapted screenplay and direction for rookie auteur Polley.

‘The ridiculousness of me winning in this category is not lost on me,’ Polley said upon receiving the director Genie. Her competition in the category included heavyweights David Cronenberg, Denys Arcand, Roger Spottiswoode and Bruce McDonald.

Leading actor nods went to Away from Her stars Gordon Pinsent and Julie Christie. The British actress also won a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award for her role as an Alzheimer’s sufferer, though she lost to Marion Cotillard (La vie en rose) Nat last month’s Academy Awards.

Christie, who appeared in a taped segment, said she’d like to ‘give an award to Canada for producing Sarah Polley.’

Meanwhile, Toronto’s Kristen Thomson took supporting actress for her role as a nurse in Away from Her, produced by Daniel Iron of Foundry Films and Simone Urdl and Jennifer Weiss of The Film Farm. The Genies also bestowed the Claude Jutra prize – which goes to first-time feature directors – on Polley.

The actress-turned-director also weighed in on the ‘terrifying’ Bill C-10.

‘I hope the outcry will be loud and persistent enough that it will go away forever,’ Polley said.

Cronenberg’s Eastern Promises garnered seven awards from its 12 nominations, including editing for Ronald Sanders, music for Howard Shore, original screenplay for Steve Knight, and supporting actor for German thesp Armin Mueller-Stahl as a charming but ruthless mob boss. Shore, Knight and Mueller-Stahl were absent from the ceremony.

Producer Robert Lantos took to the stage on behalf of Knight and praised the writer for his ‘powerful, frank, original and honest’ script. He also expressed dismay over the Conservatives and Bill C-10.

‘[Eastern Promises] is just the kind of film that, if the barbarians have their way, will no longer be permissible in Canada,’ he said.

Longtime Cronenberg collaborator Peter Suschitzky scored his fourth Genie in the cinematography category, following wins for Dead Ringers (1989), Naked Lunch (1992) and Crash (1996). Promises, produced by Serendipity Point Films and the U.K.’s Kudos Pictures, also nabbed overall sound for Stuart Wilson, Christian Cooke, Orest Sushko and Mark Zsifkovits, and sound editing for Wayne Griffin, Robert Bertola, Tony Currie, Goro Koyama and Michael O’Farrell.

Alberta’s Gary Burns and Jim Brown took home the documentary prize for Radiant City, a film that examines suburban living, while animated short went to the National Film Board’s Madame Tutli-Putli. Codirected by Montreal’s Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, Tutli-Putli was also nom’d for an Oscar, but was shut out by the U.K./Poland short Peter & the Wolf. The Bravo!FACT-supported I Met the Walrus, also up for an Oscar, was not submitted to the Genies.

Meanwhile, Quebec’s Après tout took best live-action short drama.

Despite 12 nominations, Spottiswoode’s Shake Hands with the Devil won only the award for original song for Kaya.

Other award winners include Carlo Poggioli and Kazuko Kurosawa for costume design for the period drama Silk, while Rob Gray and James Willcock nabbed art direction for the zombie pic Fido.

The last hour of the Golden Globe-style event aired on Canwest’s E! and specialty channel IFC at 10 p.m.