Montreal: The 13-hour crime drama Omerta: le dernier des hommes d’honneur (Motion International), the immigrant saga Le Polock (Productions Videofilms) and the preschool series Cornemuse (Telefiction) topped all other tv series and program entries at this year’s 14th edition of the Prix Gemeaux, each winning five awards.

Andreanne Bournival, president of the Quebec section of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, said the 14th edition ‘was the most competitive Prix Gemeaux ever.’ She said the tv awards show has been revitalized, and offered genuine thanks to Groupe tva president Daniel Lamarre, who returned the private network to the Gemeaux fold after a divisive absence of five years.

Omerta won for best drama series, with actor Michel Cote taking best male lead. Micheline Lanctot won the Gemeaux for best female lead in a drama for her disturbing performance in Le Polock, with the top teleroman performance prizes going to Gilbert Sicotte for Bouscotte (Radio-Canada) and the popular Rita Lafontaine for her role in Le Retour (JPL Productions).

In the program category, 4 et Demi (src) took the Gemeaux for best teleroman and Le Plaisir croit avec usage (Sogestalt 2001) won for best variety series. Robert Menard won for best direction in a drama series for Le Polock and Claire Wojas won the Gemeaux for best writing in a drama series or program, also for Le Polock.

The sketch comedy Un gars, une fille (Avanti Cine Video) flexed its growing muscles, beating up on sister series, the top-rated La Petite Vie (Avanti). The show, being adapted this season for primetime broadcast by France 2, took home four Gemeaux, including best comedy series, and best performance for leads Guy A. Lepage and Sylvie Leonard.

Decouverte (src) won for best information series, and the world-traveling Insectia (Productions Pixcom/Cineteve) took home the Gemeaux for best documentary series.

Veteran variety show producer Guy Latraverse was awarded the Grand Prix de l’Academie for his 40-year career contribution. One of the founding fathers of Quebec show business, Latraverse spoke eloquently of the contribution of Quebec’s musical artists, decrying the fact there is only one network variety series on air this year, Le Plaisir croit avec usage, broadcast on Tele-Quebec.

In craft highlights, Louise Jobin won the DGC-Quebec-sponsored prize for best art direction for Ces Enfants d’ailleurs (Match TV/Neofilms) and Daniel Jobin won the Kodak Canada-sponsored prize for best film photography for the historical drama Le Polock.

In the other special prize categories, Le Polock won the Prix du Multiculturalism, awarded in association with Canadian Heritage, and Mario Clement, vp programming at Tele-Quebec, was awarded a Prix Special.

In all, 41 programs from 22 production companies received at least one Gemeaux, 70% from independent producers. More than 1,600 attended two Prix Gemeaux galas Sunday, Sept. 26.

Leo Rice-Barker

(for the complete list of Gemeaux winners, see p. 20.)