Cirque program wins Gemini award
‘Crowning glory’ says executive producer

Canadian Press

Monday, October 20, 2003

TORONTO (CP) — The television documentary series Cirque du Soleil Fire Within took its second Gemini Award in two nights on Sunday, winning best reality based entertainment program or series.

“After an Emmy last month, this honour from the Gemini Awards is the crowning glory to the exceptional work on the part of Lewis Cohen and the entire team that took part in this television project,” Vincent Gagne, executive producer of the series, said in a news release.

Fifty awards were given out Sunday night in a broad range of industry categories during the second night of the 18th Gemini presentations.

The 13-episode Cirque du Soleil documentary explored the creation of the Canadian performance troupe’s Varekai show and was broadcast on Global.

During Saturday evening’s presentations, Cohen, the show’s director, won best direction in a documentary series.

Perennial Gemini favourite This Hour Has 22 Minutes took several awards Sunday including the best comedy series, best direction in a comedy series and best direction in a variety program or series. The program, broadcast on CBC, is now in its tenth season.

TVOntario’s Studio 2 was awarded best talk series and CTV’s Degrassi: The Next Generation took several awards including best children’s or youth fiction program and best performance in a children’s or youth program.

The awards ceremony took place during the Gemini industry gala at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

The Gemini Awards, held to honour the best in Canadian television, were scheduled over three nights this year, with only the final Monday night show televised. There are a total of 87 award categories.

The remaining categories are to be presented Monday evening at a black-tie gala hosted by comic Sean Cullen. The show will be broadcast live on CBC television.

The first winners, a group awarded special honours that included such notables as actor Jennifer Dale and veteran documentary producers Michael Maclear and Brian McKenna, were announced last month.

Some of the 18th annual Gemini Awards winners on the second night of presentations Sunday were:

– Best Short Dramatic Program: Andrea Bastin for When I Was Seven (Girls On Film Productions).

– Best Comedy Program or Series: Michael Donovan, Geoff D’Eon, Mark Farrell, Jack Kellum, Susan MacDonald and Jenipher Ritchie for This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Season X (Salter Street Films Ltd.).

– Best Music, Variety Program or Series: Stephen Stohn, Barbara Bowlby, John Brunton and Louise Wood for The 2003 Juno Awards (Insight Production Company Ltd.).

– Best Reality Based Entertainment Program or Series: Arnie Gelbart, Marie Cote and Vincent Gagne for Cirque du Soleil Fire Within (Galafilm Productions Inc. in association with Creations Musca Inc.).

– Best Lifestyle/General Interest Series: Margaret Mardirossian for Taking It Off (Anaid Productions Inc.).

– Best Practical Information Series: Dale Burshtein and Lon J. Hall for The Surreal Gourmet (Salad Daze Productions).

– Best Talk Series: Doug Grant and Jane Jankovic for Studio 2 (TVO).

– Best Animated Program or Series: Gretha Rose for Doodlez (Cellar Door Productions).

– Best Pre-School Program or Series: Neil Bregman and Katherine Jeans for The Toy Castle III (Sound Venture Productions).

– Best Children’s or Youth Fiction Program or Series: Linda Schuyler and Stephen Stohn for Degrassi: The Next Generation (Epitome Pictures Inc.).

– Best Children’s or Youth Non-Fiction Program or Series: Barbara Kennedy and Wendy Purves for Street Cents (CBC).

– Best Interactive: Stephen Stohn, Raja Khanna, Roma Khanna and Linda Schuyler for Degrassi: The Next Generation and Degrassi TV (Epitome Pictures Inc.).

– Best Lifestyle/Practical Information Segment: Malcolm Hamilton, Louisa Battistelli, Aldo Columpsi and Roger Lefebvre for On The Road Again, Fruit Man.

– Best Direction in a Dramatic Series: Helen Shaver for Just Cause, Death’s Details.

– Best Direction in a Variety Program or Series: Henry Sarwer-Foner for This Hour Has 22 Minutes New Year’s Eve Special IV.

– Best Direction in a Performing Arts Program or Series: Larry Weinstein for Stormy Weather: The Music of Harold Arlen.

– Best Direction in a Comedy Program or Series: Henry Sarwer-Foner for This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Season X, Episode 14.

– Best Direction in a Lifestyle/Practical Information Program or Series: Barb Margetts for Animal Magnetism, New York’s ‘Bitchiest’ Visual Artist.

– Best Direction in a Children’s or Youth Program or Series: Bruce McDonald for Degrassi: The Next Generation, Weird Science.

– Best Writing in a Dramatic Series: Chris Haddock, Frank Borg and Alan DiFiore for Da Vinci’s Inquest, Ass Covering Day.

– Best Writing in a Comedy or Variety Program or Series: John Pattison for Puppets Who Kill, The Payback.

– Best Writing in a Children’s or Youth Program or Series: Peter Lauterman for The Zack Files: Zackeo and Juliet.

– Best Photography in a Dramatic Program or Series: Luc Montpellier for Hemingway vs. Callaghan.

– Best Photography in a Comedy, Variety or Performing Arts Program or Series: Michael Spicer for Year of the Lion.

– Best Picture Editing in a Dramatic Program or Series: George Roulston for The Many Trials of One Jane Doe.

– Best Picture Editing in a Comedy, Variety or Performing Arts Program or Series: Jeff Bessner for Year of the Lion.

– Best Sound in a Dramatic Program: Brandon Walker, Grant Bone, Stephan Carrier, Douglas Ganton, Steve Hammond and Martin Lee for A.K.A. Albert Walker.

– Best Sound in a Dramatic Series: Patrick Haskill, Brad Hillman, James Kusan, Miguel Nunes, Tim Peters and John Taylor for Da Vinci’s Inquest, A Big Whiff Of A Real Bad Smell.

– Best Sound in a Comedy, Variety, or Performing Arts Program or Series: Simon Bowers, Howard Baggley, Peter Campbell, Ian Dunbar and Doug McClement for The 2003 Juno Awards.

– Best Production Design or Art Direction in a Dramatic Program or Series: Craig Sandells for The Atwood Stories, Betty.

– Best Production Design or Art Direction in a Non-Dramatic Program or Series: Aidan Leroux, Rhonda Moscoe and Teresa Przybylski for Stormy Weather: The Music of Harold Arlen.

– Best Costume Design: Alexander Reda for Hemingway vs. Callaghan.

– Best Achievement in Make-Up: Penny Lee and Karen Byers for This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Season X, Episode 14.

– Best Visual Effects: James Tichenor, Mark Breakspear, Adam de Bosch Kemper, Shannon Gurney, Robin Hackl, Kevin Little, Krista McLean and Craig Van Den Biggelaar for Stargate SG-1, Revelations.

– Best Original Music Score for a Program or Mini-Series: Mike Shields for 100 Days In The Jungle.

– Best Original Music Score for a Dramatic Series: George Blondheim for Da Vinci’s Inquest, A Big Whiff Of A Real Bad Smell.

– Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role Dramatic Series: Winston Rekert for Blue Murder, America’s Most Wanted.

– Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role Dramatic Series: Kate Trotter for Blue Murder, Hard Time.

– Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series: Peter MacNeill for The Eleventh Hour.

– Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series: Jennie Raymond for Blue Murder

– Best Individual Performance in a Comedy Program or Series: Brian Hartt for CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival 2002, Prairie Celebration

– Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series: Sean Cullen for 17th Annual Gemini Awards

– Best Performance in a Performing Arts Program or Series: Peter James, Antoine Carabinier-Lepine, Jean (Jano) Chiasson, Marie-Michelle Faber, Genevieve Gauthier, Thanh Dinh Huynh, Van Anh Le Tran, Andreane Leclerc, Genevieve Lemay, Manuel Roque, Edith Sauve-Letellier, Samuel Tetreault, Lucie Vigneault, Shira Wohlberg and Koichi Yano, Cirque Orchestra

– Best Performance in a Pre-School Program or Series: Pier Kohl, Julie Burroughs, France Chevrette, Hugolin Chevrette Landesque, Timothy Gosley, Jani Lauzon and Andre Meunier for Wumpa’s World II, Seal Got Your Tongue.

– Best Performance in a Childrens’ or Youth Program or Series: Jake Epstein for Degrassi: The Next Generation, Tears Are Not Enough.

– Best Host or Interviewer in a News Information or Talk Program or Series: Mark Kelleyfor CBC News: Disclosure, Ka-Boom/Flushed Away/Fish Farm Flap.

– Best Host or Interviewer in a Lifestyle/General Interest Program or Series: Debbie Travis for Debbie Travis’ Facelift, Elsy’s New Home/Ivars’ Garage/Karen’s Basement.

– Best Host in a Practical Information, or Performing Arts Program or Series: Debbie Travis for Debbie Travis’ Painted House, Sorted Out/Rub-A-Dub-Dub.

– Outstanding Technical Achievement Award: Dan Diaconu for Academy Achievement Award Michael Maclear.

– Earle Grey Award: Jennifer Dale.

– Margaret Collier Award: Charles Lazer.

– Gemini Humanitarian Award: Max Keeping.

– Most Popular Website: Raja Khanna, Roma Khanna, Linda Schuyler and Stephen Stohn for http://www.degrassi.tv and Degrassi: The Next Generation.