Gemini Awards Press Releases

Return to ALL Gemini Awards Press Releases

March 27th, 2006
For Immediate Release

Meagan Wilson
Communications Coordinator
Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television
Toronto National Office
1-800-644-5194
mwilson@academy.ca

Grace Park
Publicity Manager, Global Television
(416) 446-5338
gpark@globaltv.com

Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television Brings the 21st Annual Gemini Awards National Broadcast to the West Coast November 2006 Global Television to be National Broadcast Partner For Second Year Running

Vancouver The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is 'taking the show on the road' bringing the Gemini Awards National Broadcast Gala to Canada's west coast on November 4, 2006 for the pinnacle event of the annual celebration of excellence in Canadian Television. This is the first time that the national event will be held outside Toronto.

"Bringing the Gemini Awards to the west coast this year is an exciting new direction for the event, one that promises to infuse the celebration with renewed coast-to-coast enthusiasm and heightened profile for Canada's talented television industry," says Academy Chair Paul Gratton. "The western-based film and television community deserves a great deal of credit for aggressively pursuing the opportunity to have the Academy bring the Gala Night of the Awards to Vancouver - initiating what could well become a new tradition of mobility for the Gemini Awards," Gratton adds.

The Academy further announced that Global Television is to be the Gemini Awards broadcaster once again in 2006. "We're extremely pleased Global Television is joining us as our broadcast partner for the second year running, " says Academy President and CEO Maria Topalovich, "It's particularly fitting that western-based CanWest MediaWorks be the broadcaster to help us usher in a new era for the Gemini Awards as we stage this 'event first' on Canada's west coast."

"We're delighted to be partnering once again with the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television as they celebrate an exciting new phase in the history of the Gemini Awards," says Barbara Williams, Senior Vice President of Programming and Production for CanWest MediaWorks. "From top-to-bottom coverage on Entertainment Tonight Canada, and the thrill of the Gala Awards ceremony, the opportunity to broadcast this exclusive on-location package not only translates into an tremendous program for Global audiences nationwide, but a chance to showcase the incredible work of our Canadian production community, and its vibrant western scene."

Launched by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television in 1986, The Gemini Awards honour outstanding achievement in the Canadian television industry. Traditionally, the Gemini Awards bring together over 4,000 of Canada's most gifted craftspeople, producers and decision-makers over several evenings of special events in Toronto. In 2006, the industry will once again honour and celebrate the Canadian television industry with Gemini events in Toronto - but this time, the grand finalé Gemini Awards National Broadcast Gala will beam across Canada from the Gemini's sponsor venue, The River Rock Resort Theatre in Richmond, BC. Ancillary Gemini events will take place in Vancouver in the weeks and days leading up to the Broadcast Gala event.

The Western Division of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television initiated and drove forward the new direction for the Gemini Awards, a bid subsequently endorsed by the National Board of Directors.

"We're delighted that our efforts to bring the Gemini Awards west in 2006 have renewed the truly national energy around this event," says Academy Western Division Chair Terry McEvoy. "It's our hope that a vibrant and successful Gemini Awards in British Columbia will inspire the western entertainment industry, encourage other regions of Canada to pursue the same opportunity and create a new legacy for this national celebration of achievement in Canadian television."

Established in 1979, The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is a national, non-profit, professional association dedicated to promote, recognize and celebrate exceptional achievements in the Canadian film and television industries. Today, nearly 4,000 industry professionals across Canada are members of the Academy, proving it a vital force representing all areas of the film and television industry.

Global Television is a division of CanWest MediaWorks Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of CanWest Global Communications Corp (CanWest) (NYSE: CWG; TSX: CGS.SV and CGS.NV, www.canwestglobal.com). CanWest, an international media company, is Canada's largest media company. In addition to owning the Global Television Network, CanWest is Canada's largest publisher of daily newspapers, and also owns, operates and/or holds substantial interests in conventional television, out-of-home advertising, specialty cable channels, Web sites and radio networks in Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Ireland.