Canada is going into the Banff World Television Festival with 18 nominations for the fest’s annual awards, with strong showings in the categories of animation, lifestyle and interactive programming.

Canucks lead the interactive category, with three of its five nominations. Odd Job Jack Online by Smiley Guy Studios; the online game for ReGenesis by Xenophile Media and Shaftesbury Films; and the kid-aimed Zimmer Twins by Zinc Roe Design will square off against two BBC titles.

Among cartoons, Jane and the Dragon, Nelvana’s copro with New Zealand’s WETA Productions, is nom’ed along with the National Film Board’s John and Michael – facing Australia’s The Safe House, HBO’s Classical Baby and an episode of Charlie & Lola, from BBC Children.

Paperny Films’ Crash Test Mommy and the Canada/France copro Les Citadins du rebut global, seen on Télé-Québec, are up for best lifetystyle program, running against A&E’s Flip This House and the BBC’s Honey We’re Killing the Kids, among others.

Other notable noms include The Rick Mercer Report, up for best comedy against an ep of Desperate Housewives, among others, and God Only Knows: Same-Sex Marriage by Joe Media Group and CBC Newsworld, for best social and political documentary.

The awards, formerly known as the Rockies, and special jury prizes will be handed out on June 12, day two of the four-day festival, in Banff, AB. Among the jury prizes is the award for best overall Canadian program, as selected by a jury from among all the Canuck shows already nominated in other categories. The award is sponsored by Playback.

www.banff2006.com