Jutra Awards 2006 Nominees
January 26th, 2007 by Andre Soares
With 12 nods each, the top nominees for Quebec’s Oscars, the Prix Jutra, are Érik Canuel’s Bon Cop, Bad Cop (right), an odd couple comedy that became the top-grossing homegrown film ever in Canada (with about Can$13 million, most of it generated in Quebec itself), and Robert Favreau’s Un dimanche à Kigali / A Sunday in Kigali, the story of a man (Luc Picard) in search of his lover (Fatou N’Diaye) in post-genocide Rwanda. Both films are also well represented at this year’s Genie Awards, the equivalent to the Oscars for all of Canada.
Bon Cop, Bad Cop and Un dimanche à Kigali were nominated for the Prix Jutra in the best film category, along with Philippe Falardeau’s Congorama, a dramatic comedy about a Belgian man (Olivier Gourmet) who travels to Quebec to try to find his biological family, and Stéphane Lapointe’s La Vie secrète des gens heureux / The Secret Life of Happy People, which revolves around a highly dysfunctional suburban Montreal family.
Lapointe, however, failed to nab a matching best direction nod. In his place is Claude Gagnon, whose Kamataki (above) follows a suicidal young Canadian man (Matthew Smiley) who slowly relearns to appreciate life after spending time with his unconventional uncle (Tatsuya Fuji) in rural Japan. Gagnon, by the way, was chosen best director at the 2005 Montreal Film Festival.
The best actor shortlist is off-kilter this year, with two nominations going for "couples" instead of individual actors. Both the bon cop and the bad cop — Colm Feore and Patrick Huard — were nominated as one, and so were Congorama’s two male leads, Paul Ahmarani and Olivier Gourmet.
According to Jutra Awards general manager Henry Welsh, the producers of the two films wanted their co-stars on a single ballot to avoid having them compete against each other.
Why that was allowed is unclear, considering that it puts the "single" performers — Luc Picard (for Un dimanche à Kigali, left) and Marc Béland (for Guide de la petite vengeance / The Little Revenge Guide) at a disadvantage.
© Christal Films
The only 2006 acting nominees who are back in ‘07 are Luc Picard (who was nominated for L’Audition last year) and Danielle Proulx, winner of the 2006 best supporting actress Jutra for her concerned mother with ESP in C.R.A.Z.Y., and back again this year, this time as a lead, in Histoire de famille / Family Story.
Regarding the fact that the Jutra nominations were announced on the same day as the Oscars, Henry Welsh explained, "We decided and booked everything before the Oscars chose their date. I could’ve changed it but I thought it would give the Jutras a certain aura if they’re given the same media treatment (in Quebec) as the Oscars. It’s a big cinema day.”
Jutra nominees are picked by members of several groups representing Quebec’s film professionals. To be eligible, films must have played at least one week in Quebec theaters in 2006.
The award itself is named after Québécois filmmaker Claude Jutra. (Jutra killed himself in 1986. At the time, the 56-year-old filmmaker was suffering from Alzheimer’s.)
Quote: Canada.com
Full list of 2007 Jutra Award winners and nominees
2007 Jutra Awards winners - Article
Full list of 2007 Genie Award winners and nominees
2007 Genie Award Nominees - Article
Full list of 2006 Jutra Award winners and nominees
Swiss Film Awards - 2006 Winners
Golden Beetle Swedish Film Awards - 2006 Winners
AMARCORD (1974) by Federico Fellini: DVD Review
Dakota Fanning’s HOUNDDOG Controversy
Leave a Reply
Note: All comments are moderated. Different views and opinions are welcome, but abusive/bigoted/flaming comments will NOT be approved. Also, please be aware that the Alternative Film Guide has NO contact information for the talent mentioned in this blog or any information pertaining to or access to distributors'/producers' film prints.
