“A major unsung hero of Canadian cinema” is taking home the 2011 Clyde Gilmour Award from the Toronto Film Critics Association.

The association today announced 84-year-old producer and distributor John Dunning is the recipient of this year’s Clyde Gilmour Awards.

“Through the filmmakers he nurtured over the years, he’s left an indelible signature. This is a recognition that is already long overdue,” said TFCA President Brian D. Johnson in a release.

Dunning, founder of distribution company Cinepix in the 1960s, is credited for laying for nurturing such talents from Ivan Reitman to Don Carmody, whose early films (Shivers, Rabid) were produced by the company.

Dubbed “the unacknowledged godfather of an entire generation of Canadian filmmakers” by David Cronenberg, Dunning is currently in the process of working on a horror film with George Mihalka (My Bloody Valentine).

The Clyde Gilmour Award, named after the Toronto film critic, is given to Canadians whose work has enriched the understanding and appreciation of film in the country. Past recipients have been Elwy Yost, James Quandt, Robin Wood and Allan King.