The 28th Canadian Film Awards were held on November 20, 1977 to honour achievements in Canadian film."Ceremony dominated by two feature films: NFB Triumphs at Film Awards". The Globe and Mail, November 21, 1977. The ceremony was hosted by actor Gordon Pinsent.
For this year's awards, 143 films were submitted, including 11 features, 78 documentaries and 23 TV dramas. Also, the organizing committee announced a new selection process; films would now be assessed through secret ballot. This eliminated the selection practice using the nominating pre-selection committee and the international jury for the final selection. Now, a new jury group composed of one representative from each member organization chose four nominees in each category from a first ballot, then selected the winners from that group.
Despite the 1976 agreement that Quebec would organize the awards every other year, there were no Francophones on this year's organizing committee. CTV was meant to broadcast the ceremony but withdrew, so the CBC aired a one-hour special called All About the Canadian Film Awards.Maria Topalovich, And the Genie Goes To...: Celebrating 50 Years of the Canadian Film Awards. Stoddart Publishing, 2000. . pp. 117-199.
Films Best Feature Film Best Theatrical Short J.A. Martin Photographer (J.A. Martin, photographe) — National Film Board of Canada, Jean-Marc Garand producer, Jean Beaudin director One Man — National Film Board of Canada, James de Beaujeu Domville, Tom Daly, Michael J. F. Scott and Vladimir Valenta producers, Robin Spry director"Canadian Film Awards nominations". The Albertan, October 18, 1977. Outrageous! — Film Consortium of Canada, CFDC, Bill Marshall, Peter O'Brian and Henk Van der Kolk producers, Richard Benner director Why Shoot the Teacher? — Fraser Films, Lancer Productions: Lawrence Hertzog producer, Silvio Narizzano director Spartree — Mercury Pictures, Jim Makichuk and Phillip Borsos producers, Phillip Borsos director Outtakes — Hairy Ape Productions, Barry Healey producer and director The Sand Castle (Le Chateau de sable) — National Film Board of Canada, Gaston Sarault producer, Co Hoedeman director Silent Sky — Mindsoar Films, Laszlo George, David Mackay and Douglas Murray producers and directors Best Documentary Under 30 Minutes Best Documentary Over 30 Minutes Greenpeace: Voyage to Save the Whales — Omnifilm Entertainment, Michael Chechik producer, Michael Chechik, Fred Easton and Ron Precious directors Henry Ford's America — National Film Board of Canada, Donald Brittain, Paul Wright and Roman Kroitor producers, Donald Brittain director Potters at Work — Marty Gross Film Productions, Marty Gross producer and director Ritual: The Collective Psyche of Japan — Psychomedia Productions, Kalle Lasn producer and director The Inquiry Film: A Report on the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline — Jesse Nishihata director and producer Famille et variations — National Film Board of Canada, Anne Claire Poirier producer, Mireille Dansereau director Games of the XXI Olympiad (Jeux de la XXIe olympiade) — National Film Board of Canada, Jacques Bobet producer, Jean Beaudin, Marcel Carrière, Georges Dufaux, Jean-Claude Labrecque directors Homage to Chagall: The Colours of Love — Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Harry Rasky director Best Animated Film Best TV Drama Spinnolio — National Film Board of Canada, Wolf Koenig producer, John Weldon director Bead Game — National Film Board of Canada, Ishu Patel A Cosmic Christmas — Nelvana, Clive A. Smith, Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert producers, Clive A. Smith director Symbiosis — David Cox, producer and director Dreamspeaker — Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Ralph L. Thomas producer, Claude Jutra director Happiness Is Loving Your Teacher — National Film Board of Canada, Vladimir Valenta producer, John N. Smith director Rose's House — National Film Board of Canada, Clay Borris director Strangers at the Door — National Film Board of Canada, John Howe, Maxine Samuels and Roman Kroitor producers, John Howe director
Feature Film Craft Awards Best Performance by an Actor Best Performance by an Actress Len Cariou - One Man David Petersen - Skip Tracer (Highlight Communications) Craig Russell - Outrageous! Marcel Sabourin - J.A. Martin Photographer (J.A. Martin, photographe) Monique Mercure - J.A. Martin Photographer (J.A. Martin, photographe) Jayne Eastwood - One Man Carole Laure - The Angel and the Woman (L'Ange et la femme) (RSL Films) Hollis McLaren - Outrageous! Best Supporting Actor Best Supporting Actress Jean Lapointe - One Man Carole Lazare - One Man Best Art Direction Best Cinematography Vianney Gauthier - J.A. Martin Photographer (J.A. Martin, photographe) Pierre Mignot - J.A. Martin Photographer (J.A. Martin, photographe) Best Direction Best Music Score Jean Beaudin - J.A. Martin Photographer (J.A. Martin, photographe) Allan King - Who Has Seen the Wind (Allan King Associates, Souris River Films) Silvio Narizzano - Why Shoot the Teacher? Robin Spry - One Man Paul Hoffert - Outrageous! Best Film Editing Best Sound Editing Jean Beaudin and Hélène Girard - J.A. Martin Photographer (J.A. Martin, photographe) John Kramer - One Man Les Halman and Ken Page - One Man Best Original Screenplay Best Adapted Screenplay Robin Spry, Peter Pearson and Peter Madden - One Man Zale Dalen - Skip Tracer Marcel Sabourin and Jean Beaudin - J.A. Martin Photographer (J.A. Martin, photographe) Ratch Wallace - Age of Innocence (aka Ragtime Summer) (Judson Pictures, The Rank Organisation) James DeFelice - Why Shoot the Teacher? Richard Benner - Outrageous! Patricia Watson - Who Has Seen the Wind Stephen Zoller - Metal Messiah (MM Productions, JLS Films) Best Overall Sound Claude Hazanavicius (recording) - One Man Jean-Pierre Joutel (re-recording) - J.A. Martin Photographer (J.A. Martin, photographe)
Non-Feature Craft Awards Performance by a Lead Actor Performance by a Lead Actress George Clutesi - Dreamspeaker Marina Dimakopoulos - Happiness Is Loving Your Teacher (NFB) Supporting Actor or Actress Art Direction Jacques Hubert - Dreamspeaker Evelyn Roth - Woven in Time (NFB) Cinematography Best Direction Tamara Sale, Dave Geddes, Ron Orieux and Jeff Mart - Spartree Claude Jutra - Dreamspeaker Film Editing Sound Editing Mary Gross - Potters at Work (Marty Gross Film Productions) Raymond Hall - Spartree Screenplay Non-Dramatic Script Cam Hubert - Dreamspeaker Donald Brittain - Henry Ford's America Sound Recording Sound Re-recording Fred Easton, Chris Aikenhead and Michael Chechik - Greenpeace: Voyage to Save the Whales Barry Jones - Spartree Music Score Jean Cousineau - Dreamspeaker
Special awards Ralph L. Thomas: "for increasing the stature of film drama on television in Canada". Wendy Michener Award: Zale Dalen - "for outstanding artistic achievement in Skip Tracer". Golden Reel Award: Lawrence Hertzog - Why Shoot the Teacher? - "for highest-grossing film". John Grierson Award: Fernand Dansereau - "for outstanding contributions to Canadian cinema".
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