Canadian Screen Awards celebrate homegrown film and TV
Martin Short returns to host star-studded televised gala
The year's best in Canadian film, television and digital media will be celebrated Sunday night at the 2nd annual Canadian Screen Awards gala.
Canadian funnyman Martin Short returns as host of the proceedings, which are the culmination of Canada Screen Week, during which the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television has toasted impressive homegrown productions of the past year.
Awarded for the first time in 2013, the fledgling, omnibus Canadian Screen Awards combine the previously separate Genie Awards (the Canadian honour for English- and French-language films) and Gemini Awards (Canada's prize for English- and French-language TV and digital programming).
Dozens of awards have already been distributed at two earlier ceremonies this week in Toronto.
Sci-fi series Orphan Black, TV comedy Less Than Kind and Denis Villeneuve's psychological thriller Enemy were among this year's top nominees for the Canadian Screen Awards.
Meanwhile,The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is the latest winner of the Golden Reel Award, which celebrates the homegrown film with the biggest Canadian box office. The film grossed more than $5.2 million in Canada and the win marks an eighth Golden Reel crown for producer Don Carmondy.
Sunday evening's ceremony will feature some of the most high-profile CSA categories, including best motion picture, best comedy series, best dramatic series and the fan choice award.
Filmmaker David Cronenberg will also be honoured with a lifetime achievement award.
Famous faces set to present trophies during the gala include Viggo Mortensen, Jason Priestley, Jessica Paré and Serena Ryder.
The televised CSA gala airs Sunday evening from Toronto's Sony Centre for the Arts, broadcast on CBC-TV.