It’s been an incredible year for Canadian cinema.

On March 3, the votes will be in and the 28th Genie Awards will air on E! and IFC.

It is a difficult year to choose a winner, as multiple nominations for multiple films makes evident. Cronenberg’s masterful thriller Eastern Promises faces off with Roy Dupuis’ stunning Roméo Dallaire in Shake Hands with the Devil, with 12 nods a piece. But most buffs think the real competition for Promises comes from Sarah Polley’s Away from Her, which garnered seven noms.

Meanwhile, Denys Arcand’s esoteric Days of Darkness – which has suffered from bad press – received only four nominations, but makes the cut for a best picture nod.

So, like any year with abundant choice, there’s no clean sweeper in sight. It’s a buffet.

EASTERN PROMISES
Production Companies: Serendipity Point Films, Kudos Pictures
Producers: Robert Lantos, Paul Webster
Director: David Cronenberg
Distributor: Odeon Films
12 Nominations

SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL
Production Companies: Halifax Film,
Barna-Alper Productions
Producers: Laszlo Barna, Michael Donovan
Director: Roger Spottiswoode
Distributor: Seville Pictures
12 Nominations

AWAY FROM HER
Production Companies: Foundry Films, The Film Farm
Producers: Daniel Iron, Simone Urdl, Jennifer Weiss
Director: Sarah Polley
Distributors: Mongrel Media, Capri Releasing
7 Nominations

THE TRACEY FRAGMENTS
Production Companies: Shadow Shows, Corvid Pictures, Alcina Pictures
Producer: Sarah Timmins
Director: Bruce McDonald
Distributor: Alliance Films
6 Nominations

CONTINENTAL, UN FILM SANS FUSIL/CONTINENTAL, A FILM WITHOUT GUNS
Production Company: micro_scope
Producers: Luc Déry, Kim McCraw
Director: Stéphane Lafleur
Distributor: Christal Films Distribution
5 Nominations

SILK
Production Companies: Rhombus Media, Bee Vine Pictures, Fandango Films
Producers: Niv Fichman, Nadine Luque, Domenico Procacci, Sonoko Sakai
Director: François Girard
Distributor: Alliance Films
5 Nominations