Led by "The Snow Walker", a feature film based on a Farley Mowat short story, BC Film + Media is pleased to announce that three feature films funded by the Society were recently recognized with eleven Genie Award nominations.

The Genie Awards, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, celebrate outstanding achievement in Canadian cinema. This years British Columbia nominees reflect the diverse talent of feature filmmakers in the province and the high quality of filmmaking on the West Coast.

“We are proud of the recognition these films have received from the Academy,” said Rob Egan, President & CEO of BC Film + Media. “It’s clear that British Columbia filmmakers are making an impact with both audiences and critics.”

“The Snow Walker,” directed by Charles Martin Smith, is nominated in nine categories and tied for the second most recognized film among the nominees. Its nominations include Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, Music (Original Score), Overall Sound and Sound Editing. The movie’s stars, Barry Pepper and Annabella Plugattuk, also received nominations for Best Actor and Supporting Actress, respectively.

Meredith McGeachie received a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her knock-out performance in director Guy Bennett’s debut feature “Punch.”

Nettie Wild’s provocative feature length documentary that examines Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, “Fix: The Story of an Addicted City,” is nominated in the Best Documentary category.

The 24th Annual Genie Awards will be broadcast live on May 1, 2004 from the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. “Kids In The Hall” alumni Scott Thompson will host the event. For the complete list of nominees, visit www.genieawards.ca.

BC Film + Media is a privately administered non-profit society established in 1987 by the provincial government with a mandate to expand and diversify the cultural industries of film and video in British Columbia. The Society acknowledges the financial assistance of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Small Business and Economic Development.