Denis Villeneuve’s Polytechnique snagged virtually every award it was nominated for including best picture, director and original screenplay — hauling nine trophies in all at Monday’s Genie Awards

The controversial frontrunner was nominated for 11 prizes and also played spoiler in various acting and craft categories at the event held at Toronto’s Guvernment/Kool Haus Entertainment complex.

‘It’s a beautiful compliment, [but] I was not making this film for awards and festivals… it was not an ego trip, it was very painful,’ a humbled Villeneuve told reporters backstage, as he recalled the big responsibility of recreating the tragic day Marc Lépine shot and killed 14 women at Montreal’s École Polytechnique.

Lead actress winner Karine Vanasse, who plays an engineering student in the film, was emotional on stage as she accepted her award, which she dedicated to Lépine’s victims.

‘I’m holding this thinking of the victims and family members who decided to trust us. I hope you’ll never regret this movie,’ she said.

Maxim Gaudette, who portrays Lépine, picked up the supporting actor prize and described the challenge of playing the person who is ‘the most hated in Quebec.’

‘I didn’t want to play him as a monster. I approached him as a human being. I wanted people to have access to his pain,’ he said.

Polytechnique also garnered wins for cinematography, editing, sound editing and overall sound. The film is distributed by Alliance Vivafilm.

Meanwhile, the Genies’ snub of Xavier Dolan’s much-lauded debut feature J’ai tué ma mère (I Killed My Mother) was top of mind for filmmakers. The Montreal director was a no-show at the awards, where he was bestowed the special Claude Jutra prize. Ma mère, which garnered awards at Cannes and the recent Jutras, was ignored in every category at the Genies.

‘The [Claude Jutra] is obviously very meaningful. But the fact that he only got this award was like being sent to the kiddy table,’ observed producer Kevin Tierney, who picked up the award on Dolan’s behalf, calling it an ‘aberration.’

Vancouver’s Joshua Jackson, who currently stars in Fox’s Fringe, took home the lead actor Genie for his role as a dying man in the road-trip drama One Week.

‘I can’t believe I won something!’ he exclaimed. Jackson beat out fellow nominees including Stephen McHattie for Pontypool and Clark Johnson for Nurse.Fighter.Boy. Nurse was nominated for 10 Genies but only earned original song.

Toronto thesp Martha Burns won her second Genie, this time for supporting actress in Love & Savagery.

Other winners at the 30th Genies were the political thriller Fifty Dead Men Walking — which collected adapted screenplay for writer/director Kari Skogland and art direction for Eve Stewart — and Quebec fantasy pic Grande ourse: la clé des possibles for makeup and original score.