The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presents an annual award for Best Achievement in Direction to the best work by a director of a Canadian film.Maria Topalovich, And the Genie Goes To...: Celebrating 50 Years of the Canadian Film Awards. Stoddart Publishing, 2000. .
History The award was first presented in 1966 by the Canadian Film Awards, and was presented annually until 1978 with the exception of 1974 due to the cancellation of the awards that year. From 1980 until 2012, the award was presented as part of the Genie Awards ceremony; since 2013, it has been presented as part of the Canadian Screen Awards.
1960s Year Nominee Film Ref 196618th Canadian Film Awards Ron Kelly The Gift 196719th Canadian Film Awards Ron Kelly Wojeck: "The Last Man in the World"| rowspan=2| |- style="background:#FAEB86;" | Allan King| Warrendale 196820th Canadian Film Awards Don Owen The Ernie Game 196921st Canadian Film Awards Peter Pearson The Best Damn Fiddler from Calabogie to Kaladar Arthur Hammond This Land "Canadian Film Awards to be given Oct. 4". The Globe and Mail, September 4, 1969. Francis Chapman McQueen: "There's a Car Upside Down on My Lawn"
1970s Year Nominee Film Ref 197022nd Canadian Film Awards Paul Almond The Act of the Heart 197123rd Canadian Film Awards Claude Jutra Mon oncle Antoine 197224th Canadian Film Awards Gilles Carle The True Nature of Bernadette (La Vraie Nature de Bernadette) 197325th Canadian Film Awards David Acomba Slipstream 1974No award presented 197526th Canadian Film Awards Michel Brault Orders (Les Ordres) 197627th Canadian Film Awards Harvey Hart Goldenrod 197728th Canadian Film Awards Jean Beaudin J.A. Martin Photographer (J.A. Martin photographe) Allan King Who Has Seen the Wind "Who's up for what". The Globe and Mail, November 19, 1977. Silvio Narizzano Why Shoot the Teacher? Robin Spry One Man 197829th Canadian Film Awards Daryl Duke The Silent Partner Paul Lynch Blood and Guts "Four films nominated for Etrogs". The Globe and Mail, August 24, 1978. George Kaczender In Praise of Older Women Les Rose Three Card Monte
1980s Year Nominee Film Ref 1980 1st Genie Awards Bob Clark Murder by Decree Peter Carter Klondike Fever Jay Scott, "Changeling leads Canadian Film Award nominees". The Globe and Mail, February 8, 1980. Anne-Claire Poirier A Scream from Silence (Mourir à tue-tête) Donald Shebib Fish Hawk Eric Till Wild Horse Hank 1981 2nd Genie Awards Francis Mankiewicz Good Riddance (Les bons débarras) Bob Clark Tribute Jay Scott, "Genie nominations released". The Globe and Mail, February 10, 1981. Zale Dalen The Hounds of Notre Dame Jean-Claude Labrecque The Coffin Affair (L'Affaire Coffin) Micheline Lanctôt The Handyman (L'Homme à tout faire) 1982 3rd Genie Awards Gilles Carle The Plouffe Family (Les Plouffe) David Cronenberg Scanners Jay Scott, "Les Plouffe, Ticket to Heaven lead the pack: Academy lists Genie nominees". The Globe and Mail, February 4, 1982. Allan King Silence of the North Donald Shebib Heartaches Ralph L. Thomas Ticket to Heaven 1983 4th Genie Awards Phillip Borsos The Grey Fox Rex Bromfield Melanie Jay Scott, "Top Genie prospects for Jack Miner move". The Globe and Mail, February 10, 1983. Jean Pierre Lefebvre Wild Flowers (Les fleurs sauvages) Robert Ménard A Day in a Taxi (Une journée en taxi) Eric Till If You Could See What I Hear 1984 5th Genie Awards Bob Clark A Christmas Story David Cronenberg Videodrome Bruno Carrière Lucien Brouillard Jay Scott, "11 nominations for Chapdelaine in Genie race". The Globe and Mail, February 10, 1984. Jack Darcus Deserters André Forcier Au clair de la lune Brigitte Sauriol Just a Game (Rien qu'un jeu) 1985 6th Genie Awards Micheline Lanctôt Sonatine Atom Egoyan Next of Kin Jay Scott, "Bay Boy reels in 11 Genie nominations". The Globe and Mail, February 15, 1985. Jean Pierre Lefebvre Le jour S... Don Owen Unfinished Business Léa Pool A Woman in Transit (La Femme de l'hôtel) 1986 7th Genie Awards Sandy Wilson My American Cousin Jean Beaudin The Alley Cat (Le Matou) "Scorecard of major nominees for tonight's Genie Awards on TV". Toronto Star, March 20, 1986. Claude Jutra The Dame in Colour (La Dame en couleurs) Ted Kotcheff Joshua Then and Now Giles Walker 90 Days 1987 8th Genie Awards Denys Arcand The Decline of the American Empire (Le Déclin de l'empire américain) Leon Marr Dancing in the Dark John Allemang, "Arcand's Decline tops Genie nominations with 13". The Globe and Mail, February 5, 1987. Yves Simoneau Intimate Power (Pouvoir intime) John N. Smith Sitting in Limbo Anne Wheeler Loyalties 1988 9th Genie Awards Jean-Claude Lauzon Night Zoo (Un zoo la nuit) Atom Egoyan Family Viewing Liam Lacey, "Quebec film picks up 14 nominations: Zoo paces race for Genies". The Globe and Mail, February 17, 1988. Marquise Lepage Marie in the City (Marie s'en va-t-en ville) Patricia Rozema I've Heard the Mermaids Singing John N. Smith Train of Dreams 1989 10th Genie Awards David Cronenberg Dead Ringers Roger Cardinal Malarek Louise Clark, Jackie Burroughs, John Walker, Aerlyn Weissman and John Frizzell A Winter Tan Francis Mankiewicz The Revolving Doors (Les Portes tournantes) Anne Wheeler Cowboys Don't Cry
1990s Year Nominee Film Ref 1990 11th Genie Awards Denys Arcand Jesus of Montreal (Jésus de Montréal) François Bouvier and Jean Beaudry Unfaithful Mornings (Les Matins infidèles) "Bye Bye Blues in running for Genie Awards". Vancouver Sun, February 14, 1990. Atom Egoyan Speaking Parts John N. Smith Welcome to Canada Anne Wheeler Bye Bye Blues 1991 12th Genie Awards Bruce Beresford Black Robe Phillip Borsos Bethune: The Making of a Hero Mark Bastien, "Black Robe bathes in the glow of opening accolades, Genie nominations". Vancouver Sun, October 10, 1991. Atom Egoyan The Adjuster André Forcier An Imaginary Tale (Une histoire inventée) Darrell Wasyk H 1992 13th Genie Awards David Cronenberg Naked Lunch Jean Beaudin Being at Home with Claude "Genie Award nominations". Toronto Star, November 20, 1992. Eli Cohen The Quarrel Jean-Claude Lauzon Léolo Robert Morin Requiem for a Handsome Bastard (Requiem pour un beau sans-cœur) 1993 14th Genie Awards François Girard Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould Paule Baillargeon The Sex of the Stars (Le Sexe des étoiles) "Genie nominations". Calgary Herald, October 20, 1993. Atom Egoyan Calendar George Mihalka La Florida Sandy Wilson Harmony Cats 1994 15th Genie Awards Atom Egoyan Exotica André Forcier The Wind from Wyoming (Le Vent du Wyoming) Micheline Lanctôt Two Can Play (Deux actrices) Richard J. Lewis Whale Music Léa Pool Desire in Motion (Mouvements du désir) Mina Shum Double Happiness 1995 16th Genie Awards Robert Lepage The Confessional (Le Confessionnal) Charles Binamé Eldorado "Nominees for the 1995 Genie Awards". Canadian Press, November 7, 1995. Mort Ransen Margaret's Museum Jean-Marc Vallée Black List (Liste noire) Clement Virgo Rude 1996 17th Genie Awards David Cronenberg Crash John Fawcett The Boys Club "Over-the-edge Canadian films poised for Genie nod". Canadian Press, November 24, 1996. John Greyson Lilies Robert Lepage Polygraph (Le Polygraphe) Bruce McDonald Hard Core Logo 1997 18th Genie Awards Atom Egoyan The Sweet Hereafter Thom Fitzgerald The Hanging Garden André Forcier The Countess of Baton Rouge (La Comtesse de Bâton Rouge) Gabriel Pelletier Karmina Lynne Stopkewich Kissed 1998 19th Genie Awards François Girard The Red Violin (Le Violon rouge) Sturla Gunnarsson Such a Long Journey "Two films lead Genie pack". Waterloo Region Record, December 8, 1998. Don McKellar Last Night Gillies MacKinnon Regeneration Jonathan Tammuz Rupert's Land Joel Wyner Pale Saints 1999 20th Genie Awards Jeremy Podeswa The Five Senses Louis Bélanger Post Mortem Atom Egoyan Felicia's Journey Léa Pool Set Me Free (Emporte-moi) Istvan Szabo Sunshine
2000s Year Nominee Film Ref 2000 21st Genie Awards Denis Villeneuve Maelström "Maelstrom sweeps Genie Awards". Cape Breton Post, January 31, 2001. Gary Burns waydowntown Alain DesRochers The Bottle (La Bouteille) Robert Favreau The Orphan Muses (Les Muses orphelines) Robert Lepage Possible Worlds 2001 22nd Genie Awards Zacharias Kunuk Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner Denis Chouinard Tar Angel (L'Ange de goudron) "Atanarjuat and The War Bride share lead for Genie Awards". Guelph Mercury, December 15, 2001. Renny Bartlett Eisenstein Bernard Émond The Woman Who Drinks (La Femme qui boit) William Phillips Treed Murray 2002 23rd Genie Awards David Cronenberg Spider Jean Beaudin The Collector (Le Collectionneur) "Egoyan's Ararat scoops nine Gemini nominations". Timmins Daily Press, December 12, 2002. Sturla Gunnarsson Rare Birds Ricardo Trogi Québec-Montréal Anne Wheeler Suddenly Naked 2003 24th Genie Awards Denys Arcand The Barbarian Invasions (Les Invasions barbares) Robert Lepage Far Side of the Moon (La Face cachée de la lune) Guy Maddin The Saddest Music in the World Jean-François Pouliot Seducing Doctor Lewis (La Grande séduction) Charles Martin Smith The Snow Walker 2004 25th Genie Awards Francis Leclerc Looking for Alexander (Mémoires affectives) Peter Howell, "Quebec films rule Genies; Aging Triplets named country's best film of 2004". Toronto Star, March 22, 2005. Denise Filiatrault Bittersweet Memories (Ma vie en cinémascope) "Being Julia up for best picture at Canada's Genies". St. Catharines Standard, February 9, 2005. Pierre Houle Machine Gun Molly (Monica la mitraille) Bronwen Hughes Stander David "Sudz" Sutherland Love, Sex and Eating the Bones 2005 26th Genie Awards Jean-Marc Vallée C.R.A.Z.Y. Louise Archambault Familia Guy Dixon, "Forget the awards. Watch the party". The Globe and Mail, January 26, 2006. Michael Dowse It's All Gone Pete Tong Deepa Mehta Water Luc Picard Audition (L'Audition) 2006 27th Genie Awards Charles Binamé The Rocket (Maurice Richard) Jay Stone, "Bon Cop, Bad Cop wins top Genie as best movie". Ottawa Citizen, February 14, 2007. Érik Canuel Bon Cop, Bad Cop Randall King, "The Rocket scores with 13 Genie nominations". Winnipeg Free Press, January 10, 2007. Robert Favreau A Sunday in Kigali (Un dimanche à Kigali) Stéphane Lapointe The Secret Life of Happy People (La Vie secrète des gens heureux) Jean-François Pouliot The Little Book of Revenge (Guide de la petite vengeance) 2007 28th Genie Awards Sarah Polley Away From Her Mark Medley, "Away From Her scoops six Genies, including best picture". Alaska Highway News, March 5, 2008. Denys Arcand Days of Darkness (L'Âge des ténèbres) Bruce Kirkland, "They dream of Genies; Canadian directors see films scoop 12 noms each". Winnipeg Sun, January 29, 2008. David Cronenberg Eastern Promises Bruce McDonald The Tracey Fragments Roger Spottiswoode Shake Hands With the Devil 2008 29th Genie Awards Benoît Pilon The Necessities of Life (Ce qu'il faut pour vivre) Carl Bessai Normal Lyne Charlebois Borderline Yves-Christian Fournier Everything is Fine (Tout est parfait) Richie Mehta Amal 2009 30th Genie Awards Denis Villeneuve Polytechnique Marie-Hélène Cousineau and Madeline Ivalu Before Tomorrow (Le Jour avant le lendemain) Bruce McDonald Pontypool Charles Officer Nurse.Fighter.Boy Kari Skogland Fifty Dead Men Walking
2010s