1st Genie Awards

The 1st Genie Awards were presented on March 20, 1980, and honoured films released in 1979.[1] They were given out at a gala event at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto with Bruno Gerussi as host.[1] Awards for non-feature films were presented at a luncheon the day before the gala.[2]

1st Genie Awards
Date	March 20, 1980
Site	Royal Alexandra Theatre, Toronto
Hosted by	Bruno Gerussi
Highlights
Best Picture	The Changeling
Most nominations	The Changeling

The 1980 ceremonies were the first time the awards were presented as the Genie Awards instead of the Canadian Film Awards, and the first time they were presented by the newly organized Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television.[3]

Ceremony

The show was broadcast on CBC Television, and noted for its Oscars-like production design, with production numbers including a jazz dance performance by Jeff Hyslop and Karen Kain set to the tune of "Dancing in the Dark", and female impersonator Craig Russell in character as Judy Garland.[4]

The show was not without controversy. Award winner Christopher Plummer used his speech to criticize the distinction made between Canadian and foreign actors, calling on the Academy to treat "Canadian or Samothracian" actors equally.[1] The fact that no French language films won any major awards was also a source of controversy.[1] In addition, despite having duly released three nominations in the category of Editing in a Dramatic Film (Non-Feature), the jury used the moment of presentation to announce that they had deemed none of the three worthy of an award.[2] Producer Sam Levene, in his acceptance speech for another award, called the decision an "arrogant slap in the face" to the nominees.[2]

Several awards were presented in specialized categories which were carried over from the structure of the Canadian Film Awards, but were not retained in future years.

Award winners and nominees

Motion Picture	Direction
The Changeling (Garth Drabinsky, Joel B. Michaels) Cordélia (Jean-Marc Garand) Klondike Fever (Gilbert W. Taylor, Peter Welbeck) Meatballs (Daniel Goldberg, John Dunning, André Link) Running (Robert M. Cooper, John M. Eckert, Ronald I. Cohen)	Bob Clark, Murder by Decree Peter Carter, Klondike Fever Anne-Claire Poirier, A Scream from Silence (Mourir à tue-tête) Donald Shebib, Fish Hawk Eric Till, Wild Horse Hank
Actor in a leading role	Actress in a leading role
Christopher Plummer, Murder by Decree Geoffrey Bowes, Something's Rotten Robin Gammell, Jack London's Klondike Fever Thomas Hauff, Summer's Children Stephen Lack, The Rubber Gun	Kate Lynch, Meatballs Micheline Lanctôt, A Scream from Silence (Mourir à tue-tête) Louise Marleau, Heartbreak (L'arrache-coeur) Claire Pimparé, Yesterday Louise Portal, Cordélia
Actor in a supporting role	Actress in a supporting role
Gordon Pinsent, Jack London's Klondike Fever Harvey Atkin, Meatballs Lawrence Dane, Running Chris Makepeace, Meatballs Saul Rubinek, Agency Robert A. Silverman, The Brood	Geneviève Bujold, Murder by Decree Helen Burns, The Changeling Patricia Collins, Summer's Children Barbara Gordon, Wild Horse Hank Frances Hyland, The Changeling
Foreign Actor	Foreign Actress
George C. Scott, The Changeling Michael Douglas, Running Bill Murray, Meatballs Will Sampson, Fish Hawk Rod Steiger, Jack London's Klondike Fever	Trish Van Devere, The Changeling Susan Anspach, Running Samantha Eggar, The Brood Sally Kellerman, It Rained All Night the Day I Left Cloris Leachman, Yesterday
Actor (Non-Feature)	Actress (Non-Feature)
Rudi Lipp, Revolution's Orphans Ken Pogue, Every Person Is Guilty Saul Rubinek, The Wordsmith	Martha Henry, The Newcomers Lynne Griffin, Every Person Is Guilty Bronwen Mantel, Revolution's Orphans Janet Ward, The Wordsmith
Original Screenplay	Adapted Screenplay
Len Blum, Dan Goldberg, Janis Allen, Meatballs Mireille Dansereau, Heartbreak (L'arrache-coeur) Allan Moyle, John Laing, Stephen Lack, The Rubber Gun Jim Osborne, Summer's Children Anne Claire Poirier, Marthe Blackburn, A Scream from Silence (Mourir à tue-tête) Steven Hilliard Stern, Running	William Gray and Diana Maddox, The Changeling Ted Allan, It Rained All Night the Day I Left Jean Beaudin and Marcel Sabourin, Cordelia R. J. Dryer and Martin Lager, Jack London's Klondike Fever Jean-Claude Lord and Jean Salvy, Chocolate Eclair (Éclair au chocolat)
Outstanding Independent Film	Theatrical Short
Terry Burke, Track Stars: The Unseen Heroes of Movie Sound John McGreevy and W. Paterson Ferns, Cities: Glenn Gould's Toronto Beryl Friesen, William H. Stevens, Jr., Tukiki and His Search for a Merry Christmas	Phillip Borsos, Nails Giles Walker, Twice Upon a Time... Terry Burke, Track Stars: The Unseen Heroes of Movie Sound
Art Direction and Production Design	Art Direction (Non-Feature)
Trevor Williams, The Changeling Denis Boucher and Vianney Gauthier, Cordélia Seamus Flannery, Fish Hawk Seamus Flannery, Jack London's Klondike Fever Wolf Kroeger, It Rained All Night the Day I Left Roy Forge Smith, Yesterday Carol Spier, The Brood	Milton Parcher, The Wordsmith Earl Preston, Revolution's Orphans William Beeton, Riel
Direction in a Dramatic Film (Non-Feature)	Direction in a Documentary (Non-Feature)
Paul Almond, Every Person Is Guilty Barry Healey, The Night Before the Morning After John N. Smith, Revolution's Orphans	Donald Brittain, Paperland: The Bureaucrat Observed Phillip Borsos, Nails Terence Macartney-Filgate, Dieppe 1942
Outstanding Screenplay (Non-Feature)	Non-Dramatic Script
Mordecai Richler, The Wordsmith Barry Healey, The Night Before the Morning After János Szanyi, Laszlo Gefin and John N. Smith, Revolution's Orphans Ralph L. Thomas, Every Person Is Guilty	Ronald Blumer, John Random and Donald Brittain, Paperland: The Bureaucrat Observed Timothy Findley and William Whitehead, Dieppe 1942 Glenn Gould, Cities: Glenn Gould's Toronto
Outstanding TV Drama Over 30 Minutes	Outstanding TV Drama Under 30 Minutes
Bill Gough and Sam Levene, Certain Practices Sam Levene and Vivienne Leebosh, Every Person Is Guilty Robert Sherrin and Robert Allen, The Wordsmith	Giles Walker, Bravery in the Field John N. Smith, Revolution's Orphans Barb Wiseberg, Barry Pearson, The Spirit of the River to China
Outstanding Documentary - 30 Minutes and Over	Outstanding Documentary - 30 Minutes and Under
Donald Brittain and Marrin Canell, Paperland: The Bureaucrat Observed Terence Macartney-Filgate, Dieppe 1942 John McGreevy and W. Paterson Ferns, Cities: Glenn Gould's Toronto	Mark Dolgoy, Priory: The Only Home I've Got Marilyn Belec, Taking Chances Claire Prieto, It's Not an Illness
Costume Design	Cinematography
Louise Jobin, Cordélia François Barbeau, Chocolate Eclair (Éclair au chocolat) Linda Matheson, Fish Hawk Patti Unger, Jack London's Klondike Fever Julie Whitfield, Something's Rotten Julie Whitfield, Tanya's Island	John Coquillon, The Changeling Miklós Lente Agency Pierre Mignot, Cordélia Reginald H. Morris, Murder by Decree Laszlo George, Running
Cinematography in a Dramatic Film (Non-Feature)	Cinematography in a Documentary (Non-Feature)
Savas Kalogeras, Bravery in the Field David De Volpi, Revolution's Orphans Kenneth W. Gregg, Every Person Is Guilty	Roger Rochat, Le Pilier de Cristal Ron Orieux, Nails Barry Perles and Douglas Kiefer, Paperland: The Bureaucrat Observed Charles Stewart, Dieppe 1942
Animation	Sound Editing
Eugene Fedorenko, Every Child Kaj Pindal, Caninabis W.H. Stevens, Jr. and Beryl Friesen, Tukiki and His Search for a Merry Christmas	Patrick Drummond, Dennis Drummond and Robert Grieve, The Changeling Michael Clark and Brian French, Wild Horse Hank Kenneth Heeley-Ray, Agency Kenneth Heeley-Ray, Murder by Decree Marcel Pothier, Chocolate Eclair (Éclair au chocolat)
Sound	Sound (Non-Feature)
Joe Grimaldi, Austin Grimaldi, Dino Pigat and Karl Scherer, The Changeling David Appleby and Joe Grimaldi, Murder by Decree Gary C. Bourgeois and Richard Lightstone, Meatballs Joe Grimaldi and Bryan Day, The Brood Owen Langevin, Joe Grimaldi, David Appleby, Running	Tony Van den Akker, Al Caruso, Andy Malcolm and Terry Burke, Track Stars: The Unseen Heroes of Movie Sound Hans Oomes and Bernard Bordeleau, Paperland: The Bureaucrat Observed Alex Taylor, Michael Lax and Austin Grimaldi, Dieppe 1942
Editing	Editing (Non-Feature)
Stan Cole, Murder by Decree George Appleby, Wild Horse Hank Jean Beaudin, Cordélia Debra Karen, Meatballs Debra Karen, Yesterday Marcel Pothier, Heartbreak (L'arrache-coeur) Ron Wisman, Fish Hawk	Richard Todd, Paperland: The Bureaucrat Observed Thomas Berner, Dieppe 1942 Raymond Hall, Nails Andy Malcolm and Terry Burke, Track Stars: The Unseen Heroes of Movie Sound
Musical Score	Musical Score (Non-Feature)
Carl Zittrer and Paul Zaza, Murder by Decree Hagood Hardy, Jack London's Klondike Fever Paul Hoffert, Wild Horse Hank Alain Leroux, It Rained All Night the Day I Left Howard Shore, The Brood	Michael Conway Baker, Nails Hagood Hardy, Tukiki and His Search for a Merry Christmas Rick Wilkins, Dieppe 1942
Editing in a Dramatic Film (Non-Feature)	Special Awards
No winner Every Person Is Guilty Haida Paul, The Night Before the Morning After Arla Saare, The Wordsmith	Special Awards: Certain Practices; Every Child John Grierson Award: Rex Tasker Air Canada Award: George Destounis Golden Reel Award: Meatballs

References

1. Jay Scott, "Changeling wins Genie as year's best movie". The Globe and Mail, March 21, 1980.
2. Rick Groen, "NFB, Brittain dominate TV Genie awards". The Globe and Mail, March 20, 1980.
3. Jay Scott, "Changeling leads Canadian Film Award nominees". The Globe and Mail, February 8, 1980.
4. Meg Floyd, "Jazzing up the Genies". The Globe and Mail, March 15, 1980.

External links

• Genie Awards 1980 on imdb