OTTAWA - Denis Villeneuve's Oscar-nominated saga "Incendies" blazed through the Genie Awards to claim Canada's top film prizes Thursday, clinching wins for best film, best director, best adapted screenplay and best actress.
The dark drama won a leading eight Genies at the bash, marking the second year in a row that Villeneuve dominated the country's most prestigious movie awards.
Last year, the soft-spoken Quebec director swept the field with his haunting, black-and-white rendering of the Montreal massacre, "Polytechnique."
This time, Villeneuve said he was stunned to win the top prizes a second time, describing his directing rivals -- including Richard J. Lewis, Xavier Dolan, Vincenzo Natali and Daniel Grou, a.k.a. Podz -- as particularly formidable this year.
"To be honest I was sure I would not win this year," Villeneuve said backstage about his remarkable haul. "I think that the competition has never been that tough."
Earlier in the night, Villeneuve bemoaned a lack of support in general for homegrown films in English Canada compared to what he sees in his home province of Quebec.
"Last year I won for 'Polytechnique.' I won nine Genie awards. I made the front page everywhere in Quebec. But here, in the Globe and Mail, I was just beside dead people, at the end of the last page," Villeneuve said on the red carpet before the trophies were handed out.
"It's like it doesn't exist (in English Canada). It's really sad always when I go to the Toronto (International) Film Festival. We hear a lot about the Toronto film festival in Quebec . . . but not much in the rest of Canada. I don't know why but it's really sad."
Later, when "Incendies" producers Luc Dery and Kim McCraw accepted the award for best picture, McCraw made a point of saying how grateful they were for widespread Canadian support.
"I would like to say 'Thank you' to the Canadian public who were loving and supporting 'Incendies' across Canada from Halifax to Vancouver," said McCraw.
"We are very proud of that, we are very thankful."
"Barney's Version," the cinematic adaptation of Mordecai Richler's sprawling final novel, followed close behind "Incendies" with seven prizes, including acting trophies for stars Paul Giamatti, Dustin Hoffman and Minnie Driver.
The Hollywood heavyweights were notably absent at the ceremony, leaving the presenters to accept the trophies on their behalf.
Giamatti took the best actor prize for his portrayal of curmudgeonly, hockey-mad protagonist Barney Panofsky, widely seen as an alter-ego of Richler himself. In January, the "Sideways" star also won a Golden Globe for the role, using his acceptance speech to profess his love for Canada and Montreal, where the film was shot. He expanded those sentiments Thursday.
"I'm very, very sorry not to be there in person this evening," Giamatti said in a statement read by co-star Rachelle Lefevre.
"This is a hugely gratifying honour to receive. To be acknowledged in the country that produced this great film, the tremendous novel it's based on and the uniquely brilliant Mordecai Richler is pleasing and moving to me beyond words."
In a pre-telecast ceremony, screen legend Hoffman won the best supporting actor Genie for his turn as Panofsky's free-spirited father, Izzy. Driver earned the best supporting actress trophy for playing Giamatti's status-obsessed second wife.
"Incendies" claimed the remaining acting prize. Belgian actress Lubna Azabal fought back tears as she took the stage to offer an emotional thank you to Villeneuve for guiding her through a harrowing role as a mother with a violent, war-torn past.
The acclaim for "Incendies" -- which Villeneuve made at the same time as "Polytechnique" -- has catapulted the director into a new stratosphere. At last month's Academy Awards, he brushed shoulders with heavyweight filmmakers Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola and Alejandro GonzDalez IInDarritu.
"Incendies," based on a play by Montreal-based Wajdi Mouawad, ultimately lost the Oscar for best foreign-language film to Denmark's "In A Better World."
Another Canadian Oscar contender -- Montreal makeup artist Adrien Morot -- won the Genie for achievement in makeup along with Rejean Goderre, Valli O'Reilly and Micheline Trepanier. Morot lost out at the Oscars to "The Wolfman."
Other winners include "Last Train Home" and "The Trotsky"
The Genie for best documentary, meanwhile, went to Montreal filmmaker Lixin Fan for "Last Train Home." He was also nominated for a prestigious Directors Guild of America Award for the film. He shared the Genie recognition with Mila Aung-Thwin and Daniel Cross.
The Jay Baruchel comedy "The Trotsky" also got some love from the Genies, with an original screenplay nod for Jacob Tierney, who directed the film.
Although several of the more high-profile nominees skipped out on the bash, homegrown celebrities in force included Shannon Tweed, Tyler Labine, Gordon Pinsent and Baruchel, who claimed a fan choice award.
"I literally didn't know this was an option," Baruchel said to laughs from the audience. "So thank you for voting. I'll say you people have impeccable taste."
As Genie host, film and TV star William Shatner injected humour early on with some digs at that other awards bash, the Academy Awards.
"They wanted a host that appeals to a younger, hipper audience. Then they watched the Oscars," the 79-year-old Shatner quipped.
The Genie Awards -- celebrating their 31st year -- featured performances from Melissa Etheridge, Serena Ryder, Johnny Reid and Karkwa.
The Golden Reel Award, given to the country's top box office contender, was presented to the 3D spectacle "Resident Evil: Afterlife."
The Claude Jutra Award, which goes to a first-time director, was presented to Jephte Bastien for his film "Sortie 67" ("Exit 67").
