6th Genie Awards

Kerrie Keane The 6th Genie Awards were held on March 21, 1985, to honour Canadian films released in 1984.

Only four films were nominated for Best Motion Picture this year; two additional films tied for the fifth spot, and the academy opted to nominate four films rather than extend the category to six. However, similar ties in other categories did result in six nominations.

This year, the academy expanded its mandate to include television and the new name of the academy became The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. For the English-language TV awards, a membership campaign was launched at the Banff Television Festival, and a committee was formed to create the Gemini Awards for television, which premiered in December 1986.

In Quebec, support for the academy remained mixed but there was strong support for television awards. A full-time office was established in Montreal to organize the awards; the Prix Gémeaux were launched in February 1987.

The academy also struck a co-production deal with the CBC Television, contributing financing and its own producer. The national broadcast of the event, which was hosted by actors Al Waxman and Kerrie Keane, drew 1.9 million viewers.