Films from Quebec held sway as Canada's Genie Awardsannounced its 2005 nominees, however the big news was the absence of GoldenGlobe winner and Oscar nominee Annette Bening in the best actress categorydespite a best picture nod for the Robert Lantos-produced Being Julia.

Also shut out of major prize contention was Don McKellar's Childstar, which was passed over for best picture and bestdirector and had to make do with two nominations best supporting actress forJennifer Jason Leigh and original screenplay for McKellar and co-screenwriterMichael Goldbach.

Leading the race with eight nominations was Le Dernier Tunnel (The Last Tunnel), followed by Ma Vie En Cinemascope and Monica La Mitraille (Machine Gun Molly) with seven nods apiece, and Memoires Affectives(Looking For Alexander) and Canada-France co-production Nouvelle-France with six each.

None of the five has been released outside of Quebec.

Alongside Being Julia, best picturenominees are Love, Sex & Eating The Bones, Ma Vie En Cinemascope, Memoires Affectives (Looking For Alexander) and animated film Les Triplettes DeBelleville (The Triplets OfBelleville), which was nominated for a 2004animated feature Oscar.

Memoires Affectives also receivednods for Roy Dupuis for best actor and for Francis Leclerc for best director. Nouvelle-France had nominations for best actor for David La Haye andsupporting actress Juliette Gosselin.

Ma Vie En Cinemascope starPascale Bussieres earned a best actress nomination while Denise Filiatrualtreceived a nod for direction. They will go head-to-head with MonicaLa Mitraille's lead Celine Bonnier anddirector Pierre Houle, both nominated in their respective categories.

The leading English-language title in terms of nominations was Jacob Tierney's Twist with four, including a best actor nod for Nick Stahland supporting actor tip for Gary Farmer. But Sudz Sutherland's Love, Sex & Eating The Bones held sway interms of major prize potential with nominations for picture, direction andoriginal screenplay.

Ellen Page, who wowed Sundance audiences with her lead role in HardCandy, earned a supporting actress nod forher role in Daniel MacIvor's Wilby Wonderful. Bening's Being Julia co-star Bruce Greenwood was nominated for bestsupporting actor.

Bronwen Hughes was nominated for best direction for Canada-Germany-SouthAfrica-UK co-production Stander.Emily Hampshire was nominated for best actress and director-screenwriter JerryCiccoritti was nominated for best adapted screenplay for Blood. Chris Landreth's Oscar nominated animated short Ryan was nominated for a Genie.

Besides Jennifer Jason Leigh and Nick Stahl, non-Canadians among the actingnominees were Sir Ian McKellen for best actor in Emile and Kyle MacLachlan for supporting actor in his turnas the ghost of Cary Grant in Touch Of Pink.

The 25th annual Genie Awards will be handed out on Mar 21 inToronto.

2005 Genie Nominations

Best Motion Picture
Being Julia - Robert Lantos
Love, Sex & Eating The Bones- Jennifer Holness
Ma Vie En Cinemascope - DeniseRobert, Daniel Louis
Memoires Affectives / Looking For Alexander - Barbara Shrier
Les Triplettes De Belleville / The Triplets Of Belleville - Paul Cadieux

Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role
Isabelle Blais - Les Aimants / Love And Magnets
Celine Bonnier - Monica La Mitraille / Machine Gun Molly
Pascale Bussieres - Ma Vie En Cinemascope
Emily Hampshire - Blood
Jacinthe Lague - Elles EtaientCinq / The Five Of Us

Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role
Michel Cote - Le Dernier Tunnel / The Last Tunnel
Roy Dupuis - Memoires Affectives/ Looking For Alexander
David La Haye - Nouvelle-France
Ian Mckellen - Emile
Nick Stahl Twist

Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role
Juliette Gosselin - Nouvelle-France
Jennifer Jason Leigh - Childstar
Sylvie Moreau - Les Aimants / Love And Magnets
Ellen Page - Wilby Wonderful
Susana Salazar - A Silent Love

Performance By An Actor In ASupporting Role
Gary Farmer - Twist
Brendan Fehr - Sugar Bruce Greenwood- Being Julia
Jean Lapointe - Le Dernier Tunnel / The Last Tunnel
Kyle Maclachlan - Touch Of Pink

Achievement In Direction
Denise Filiatrault - Ma Vie En Cinemascope
Pierre Houle - Monica LaMitraille / Machine Gun Molly
Bronwen Hughes - Stander
Francis Leclerc - Memoires Affectives / Looking For Alexander
David "Sudz" Sutherland - Love, Sex & Eating The Bones

Original Screenplay
Denise Filiatrault - Ma Vie En Cinemascope
Federico Hidalgo, Paulina Robles - A Silent Love
Francis Leclerc, Marcel Beaulieu - Memoires Affectives / Looking ForAlexander
Don McKellar, Michael Goldbach - Childstar
David "Sudz" Sutherland - Love, Sex & Eating The Bones

Adapted Screenplay
Jo'l Champetier, Daniel Roby - La Peau Blanche / White Skin
Jerry Ciccoritti - Blood
Luc Dionne, Sylvain Guy - Monica La Mitraille / Machine Gun Molly
Todd Klinck, Jaie Laplante, John Palmer- Sugar
Jacob Tierney Twist

Achievement In Cinematography
Louis De Ernsted - Nouvelle-France
Bernard Couture - Le Dernier Tunnel / The Last Tunnel
Pierre Mignot - Ma Vie En Cinemascope
Paul Sarossy - Head In The Clouds
Andre Turpin Childstar

Achievement In Editing
Jean-Francois Bergeron - Le Dernier Tunnel / The Last Tunnel
Richard Comeau - Elles Etaient Cinq / The Five Of Us
Dominique Fortin - Head InThe Clouds
Reginald Harkema Childstar
Yvann Thibodeau - Ma VieEn Cinemascope

Achievement In Music - Original Score
Benoit Charest - Les Triplettes De Belleville / The Triplets OfBelleville
Michel Corriveau - Le Dernier Tunnel / The Last Tunnel
Pierre Duchesne - Memoires Affectives / Looking For Alexander
Terry Frewer - Head In TheClouds
Charles Papasoff - La LuneViendra D'Elle-Meme / So The Moon Rises

Achievement In Music - Original Song
Rebecca Jenkins - Wilby Wonderful - 'Something's Coming'
Kyprios - Childstar 'Ignorance Is Beautiful (Help Me)'
Luc Plamondon, Patrick Doyle - Nouvelle-France - 'Ma Nouvelle France'
Ron Proulx, Jacob Tierney - Twist - 'Pantaloon In Black'
Lorraine Richard, Michel Cusson, Pierre Houle - Monica La Mitraille /Machine Gun Molly 'Le Blues De Monica'

Achievement In Art Direction/Production Design
Andre-Line Beauparlant - Camping Sauvage
Jean Becotte - Le Dernier Tunnel / The Last Tunnel
Jonathan Lee, Gilles Aird - Head In The Clouds
Michel Proulx - Monica La Mitraille / Machine Gun Molly
Jean-Baptiste Tard - Nouvelle-France

Achievement In Costume Design
Fran'ois Barbeau - Nouvelle-France
Mario Davignon - Head In The Clouds
Mich'le Hamel - Monica La Mitraille / Machine Gun Molly
Sophie Lefebvre - Camping Sauvage
Denis Sperdouklis - Ma Vie En Cinemascope

Achievement In Overall Sound
Pierre Blain, Jo Caron, Michel Descombes, Gavin Fernandes - Head InThe
Clouds
Christian Bouchard, Luc Boudrias, Jocelyn Caron, Clovis Gouaillier,Benoit Leduc - Memoires Affectives / Looking For Alexander
Dominique Chartrand, Gavin Fernandes, Pierre Paquet - Le DernierTunnel / The Last Tunnel
Dean Humphreys, Todd Beckett, David Lee - Resident Evil: Apocalypse
Nicole Thompson, Jeff Carter, Brad Hillman, Miguel Nunes Emile

Achievement In Sound Editing
Marie-Claude Gagne, Guy Francoeur, Guy Pelletier, Claire Pochon, Jean
Philippe Savard - Camping Sauvage
Craig Henighan, Stephen Barden, Tony Lewis, Nathan Robitaille -- Resident Evil:Apocalypse
Marcel Pothier, Natalie Fleurant,Guy Francoeur, Antoine Morin, Guy Pelletier - Head In The Clouds
Marcel Pothier, Natalie Fleurant, Guy Francoeur, Carole Gagnon, Antoine Morin- Monica La Mitraille / Machine Gun Molly
Christian Rivest - Le Dernier Tunnel / The Last Tunnel

Best Documentary
The Corporation - Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbott, Bart Simpson
Mr Mergler's Gift - BeverlyShaffer, Germaine Ying-Gee Wong
What Remains Of Us -FrancoisPrevost, Yves Bisaillon, Hugo Latulippe

Best Live Action Short Drama
Capacite 11 Personnes - Gael D'ynglemare, Yves Fortin
Choke - David Hyde,Tyler Levine, Carolyn Newman
Desastre - JayField
The Dog Walker - JamesGenn, Andrew Rosen, Geoffrey Turnbull
TV Dinner...(Burp!) -Vanessa-Tatjana Beerli, Antonello Cozzolino, Annie Normandin

Best Animated Short
L'homme Sans Ombre - GeorgesSchwizgebel, Marcel Jean
Louise - AnitaLebeau, Michael Scott, Jennifer Torrance
Mabel's Saga / Le Voyage De Mabelle - Jodee Samuelson, Kent Martin
Ryan - Chris Landreth,Steven Hoban, Marcy Page, Mark Smith
Through My Thick Glasses - Pjotr Sapegin, Marcel Jean, David Reiss-Anderson