10th Genie Awards

Toronto, Ontario The 10th Genie Awards were held on March 22, 1989 to honour achievements of Canadian films which were released in 1988. The event was held at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel in Toronto and was hosted by actor Dave Thomas.

The event was one of the most challenging in the history of the event. The venue had to be changed due to a scheduling conflict and, seven days before the show, CBC members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) went on strike. This meant that the production lost access to staging and set elements, which were built by, and stored at, the CBC. The Genies also lost 100 CUPE production staff and crew. While the CBC was still able to air the event, to allow it to proceed, the network cancelled its co-production contract, and the academy received emergency funding from Telefilm Canada, the Ontario Film Development Corporation and the federal Department of Communication. New sets were completed and, with a leaner crew, the ceremony was ready to proceed when, 45 minutes before air, a bomb threat was received. The hotel was swarmed by police, who found no bomb, and the event was able to take place.

For this year, a record 35 features and 38 short films and documentaries were entered. The awards were dominated by David Cronenberg's Dead Ringers, which won ten awards.