Nine nominations did Canada proud when the Banff Television Festival announced its slate of nominees for the 21st Banff Rockie Awards last week (April 12) during the mip-tv program market in Cannes.

The festival says it received a record 1,028 entries this year. The seven-person international jury, headed by Canadian actor, playwright, author and director Gordon Pinsent, whittled the deluge down to 84 nominees from 23 countries.

Sarrazin-Couture’s The Sheldon Kennedy Story and Albertine en Cinq Temps from Les Productions Sogestalt led the way, both in the running in the made-for-tv movies category. Two other categories feature a pair of Canadian nominees. In children’s programs, six shows, including Telefiction’s Cornemuse ii: Tibor et Bagou Astronautes and The Dinosaur Hunter from Independent Moving Pictures, compete for Rockie glory. In the perennial Canadian hot-zone of animation, Crashbox (episode #209) from Cuppa Coffee Animation, Planet Grande Pictures and HBO Family vies with six others, including When the Day Breaks from the National Film Board.

The nfb adds a second contender with Through A Blue Lens, competing for honors in social and political documentaries. The information programming battle includes a soldier from Radio-Canada, Zone Libre: L’Insoutenable Condition des Kurdes. And in short dramas, Telescene Film Group’s Sanctuary (The Hunger ii) has landed a nod.

The festival gives out the prizes June 12 in an event that marks one of the highlights of the festival, set to run June 11-16.