Quebec’s movies have again swept the Genie nominations and, this year, going into the silver anniversary of the awards, hold sway over almost all of the key categories, including best director, actor, actress and best picture on the strength of such recent box-office hits as Le Dernier tunnel, Ma vie en cinémascope and Monica la mitraille.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television announced the nominees at a press conference Feb. 8 in Toronto.

Thriller Le Dernier tunnel leads the pack with eight noms, including a best actor nod for Michel Côté and a host of technical nods, including production design and overall sound, but was not nom’d for best picture.

Tunnel is followed closely by Ma vie en cinémascope and Monica la mitraille with seven noms each, and by Mémoires affectives and Nouvelle France with six each.

Don McKellar’s Childstar is the top-ranked English-language movie. Jennifer Jason Leigh is up for best supporting actress, and McKellar shares a nod for his original screenplay with Michael Goldbach.

Being Julia’s Annette Bening, despite a recent Golden Globe win and an Oscar nomination, did not draw a nom for her lead in the Robert Lantos-produced picture due to Academy rules that make performers in Canadian minority copros ineligible.

Julia drew just two noms – best picture and supporting actor for Bruce Greenwood. It is up against Love, Sex and Eating the Bones, Cinémascope, Mémoires affectives and The Triplets of Belleville for best picture.

Ma vie en cinémascope star Pascale Bussières is nom’d for the actress prize, and the biopic of Quebec singer Alys Robi also drew nods for best director for Denise Filiatrault . It is also up for original screenplay, editing, costumes and cinematography.

Monica la mitraille’s Pierre Houle is also nominated for best director, and star Céline Bonnier will run against Bussières for the bragging rights as best actress. Monica la mitraille is also nominated for best adapted screenplay, original song, art direction, costumes and sound editing.

Mémoires affectives’ noms include best picture, best actor for Roy Dupuis and best director for Francis Leclerc. The period epic Nouvelle France scored best lead actor and supporting actress noms for David La Haye and Juliette Gosselin, and is also up for costumes, art direction, cinematography and original song.

Other nominations include four nods for the Jacob Tierney-directed Dickens redo Twist, and two each for Wilby Wonderful and Blood. Ian McKellen’s work in Emile netted a best actor nod, and Kyle MacLachlan is up for best supporting actor for his turn as Cary Grant in Touch of Pink. Box-office heavy Resident Evil: Apocalypse also drew nods for sound and sound editing.

The 25th annual Genie Awards will be handed out on March 21 in Toronto, aired by Citytv Toronto and other CHUM channels.

-www.genieawards.ca