Juno ‘not Canadian enough’ for awards

Juno, the Canadian-spawned box-office hit starring Nova Scotian Ellen Page (left) as a wisecracking pregnant teen, may have scooped an Oscar for its script, but it's not eligible for a Genie, Canada's Academy Awards, because it's not considered Canadian enough.

Despite a Canadian star (Page), a Montreal-born director (Jason Reitman) and having been shot in Canada, it was ineligible for Genie consideration because it was developed and financed by a Los Angeles company and released via Fox Searchlight, another US company. Instead, next Monday's awards ceremony in Toronto will likely be dominated by Eastern Promises - David Cronenberg's film about Russian gangsters in London - which has earned 12 Genie nominations, including best picture. It made the cut because 20 per cent of its budget came from Canada.

Ellen Page still has a chance to win a Genie for her performance as a teenage runaway in The Tracey Fragments. But there will be nothing for her hugely-acclaimed turn in Juno. Jason Reitman remains puzzled: "It's a Canadian director, Canadian stars, Canadian cast, Canadian crew, shot in Canada - how are we not eligible when a film about Russians living in London shot in England with a British crew and British cast is eligible?"