| EVENT REPORT 03.07.08 5:59 PM |
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| For the 28th annual Genie awards, event producers added a sit-down dinner to the ceremony, which featured tables draped in bright fabrics, simple tulip centrepieces, and an industrial stage design. |
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The 28th annual Genie awards, held Monday at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, adopted a new format this year in an effort to create a "more celebratory" feel, according to Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television C.E.O. Sara Morton. "We moved back to a more traditional award show format this year as opposed to the last two years, where we had covered the after-party [in the broadcast]," Morton said, adding that organizers wanted to create an atmosphere similar to the format traditionally followed by the Golden Globes.
"The last two years we were at the Carlu, although we have been at the M.T.C.C. in the past," said Morton, who reported that planning included a team of roughly 50 people. "The event theme starts with the artwork and the concept the Academy comes up with, and that's reflected in the printed materials and the program.... We provide the Academy's look to the broadcaster." |
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PHOTO GALLERY |
 | Brightly coloured linens dressed tables in the main dining room, which also served as the venue for the live award broadcast.
Photo: Gary Beechey for BizBash |
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 | White tulips in simple glass vases topped each table.
Photo: Gary Beechey for BizBash |
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 | The stage, designed by production designer Peter Faragher, incorporated blues and a silver metallic industrial design.
Photo: Gary Beechey for BizBash |
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 | Green and orange dominated the colour scheme for the cocktail reception.
Photo: Gary Beechey for BizBash |
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 | Dessert arrived in edible chocolate bowls.
Photo: Gary Beechey for BizBash |
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 | The television broadcast included an interview with Canadian actress Kristin Booth on E!
Photo: Gary Beechey for BizBash |
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 | E! set up an interview area.
Photo: Gary Beechey for BizBash |
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Enter the Picture Productions produced the live show this year, and Barbara Hershenhorn, president of Party Barbara Company, planned the catering and event side of the evening. Hershenhorn said she intended to create a traditional French look for the ceremony based on the colours in the muted green and taupe carpet in the convention centre's newly renovated Constitution Hall. But she changed that plan less than a week before the show, after receiving a preliminary copy of the printed program—designed by Lynn Lockhart of Re:design Creative—only to discover it didn't match the decor she had selected. "They didn't send me [the program] until last week, and I changed everything when I saw it," said Hershenhorn, who quickly adopted a new palette including lime green, Tiffany blue, red, fuchsia, and purple. "If you don't roll with the punches, you'll get knocked down in the end," she said. "You just have to make it work."
Hershenhorn used vibrant green and orange linens from Around the Table to drape the small tables in the reception area. Round clear glass bowls with a single white lily topped each table. The bright colour scheme continued in the dining area, where white tulip centrepieces decorated the tables, each vase holding a different colour of water to match one of the five shades of table linens. The stage, by production designer Peter Faragher, served as the focal point, with a blue and metallic silver industrial design.
The event, co-hosted by Grey's Anatomy star Sandra Oh and comedian Debra DiGiovanni, attracted 700 guests, including many of Canada's best-known film and television stars. Sarah Polley, Gordon Pinset, Julie Christie, and directors David Cronenberg and Atom Egoyan were among those in attendance.
Morton reported that the after-party at Stop 33 in the Sutton Place Hotel continued into the early morning hours, with Oh and Polley in attendance. "It was really good to have both the presenters and guests," she said. The Academy's next major award show is the Gemini awards, which take place in October.
—Kimberly Spice
RELATED TOPICS
Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, Sandra Oh, Sarah Polley, Gordon Pinsent
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