Calgary rolls out the red carpet

Calgary is getting ready for its moment to shine.

The 24th annual Gemini Awards are landing in wild rose country on Nov. 14, and the local industry plans to show off its city and production community to the fullest.

‘It puts us in the national spotlight,’ says Calgary film commissioner Luke Azevedo, who is heading up the Gemini Awards host city committee. ‘It gives us an opportunity to showcase our local talent and the cultural vibrancy of our city.’

The Geminis recognize the best in Canadian English-language television in no less than 99 categories, handed out over three shows in two cities in two different provinces over two months. That’s a lot of hardware!

This year’s industry galas are Oct. 19 and 20 in Toronto, and then the show heads west for one broadcast night in Calgary (Nov. 14), the latter airing live on Global and Showcase.

Calgary is the third western city to play host to the TV awards. The Geminis road show began with Vancouver in 2006, followed by Regina in 2007 (and last year the gala stayed in Toronto).

‘We always attend the Geminis wherever they are held, but it’s great to finally have it in our own backyard,’ says Jean Merriman, exec VP of Calgary-based White Iron Group. ‘And I think it’s a great idea that they move the show from city to city.’

Bringing the show to Calgary is recognition of the quality of television that is produced in Alberta, adds Joe Novak, president of Calgary’s Joe Media Group, which is coproducing the live broadcast.

‘We produce an outstanding and diverse range of television here – from successful drama series and TV movies to performance specials, lifestyle and documentaries,’ says Novak. ‘This event is a celebration of the best of Canadian TV, but having the awards in Calgary says a lot about what Albertans bring to the national broadcasting system.’

The local industry approached the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television about hosting the awards over a year ago, and CEO Sara Morton says she was impressed with the community’s excitement for the Geminis.

‘It’s key for us that we find a host city that is very enthusiastic and wants to partner with us to make the event the best it can be,’ Morton explains. ‘The government of Alberta, Minister of Culture Lindsay Blackett, and everyone involved showed a real energy and dedication to making this a wonderful showcase for Canadian television, as well as turning the spotlight on Alberta and its production community. This is a national show and it’s important to infuse the spirit of different Canadian regions into the broadcast.’

The western festivities begin on Nov. 12 with an event to celebrate Alberta’s 16 Gemini nominations, followed by a luncheon on Nov. 13, where the guest list will include Calgary business people, the local film and TV community, as well as actors and industry folks in town for the awards.

Friday evening a ‘host city’ reception is set for Calgary’s Glenbow Museum, one of the largest museums in the country with over one million artifacts and some 28,000 works of art.

The party continues that night with a Women in Film and Television – Alberta networking event.

The Nov. 14 broadcast gala begins with a red carpet and welcome event at the BMO Centre, followed by the awards at the Corral Arena, both of which are located at Stampede Park. The dinner and after-party is being held at the boutique Hotel Arts.

The national TV industry has been hit hard in the last year by the recession and Alberta has felt the impact as much as any other province. But with recent improvements to Alberta Film Development Program incentives, the local industry is optimistic about the coming year. And having producers from across the country converge in Calgary for the awards is potentially another boom for business.

‘The Geminis are a catalyst to talk about our local film and TV industry and get our producers mingling and networking nationally,’ says Azevedo.

It’s also an opportunity to show off the face of Calgary.

‘People may have visited Calgary years ago, but this is a city that has really changed,’ adds Novak. ‘It’s a young city, an energetic city, and it has a really positive work ethic, especially in film and TV.’