| 20th Canadian Film Awards | |
|---|---|
| Date | October 4, 1968 |
| Location | Seaway Towers Hotel, Toronto, Ontario |
| Hosted by | Bill Walker, Louise Marleau |
| Highlights | |
| Most awards | Isabel |
| Film of the Year | A Place to Stand |
| Best Feature Film | The Ernie Game |
The 20th Canadian Film Awards were held on October 4, 1968 to honour achievements in Canadian film. The ceremony was hosted by broadcaster Bill Walker and actress Louise Marleau.
Just before the awards' 20th anniversary, its sponsors, the Canadian Association of Adult Education, the Canadian Foundation and the Canadian Film Institute, terminated their connection with the awards. Members of the Association of Motion Picture Producers and Laboratories in Canada, the Canadian Society of Cinematographers and the Directors Guild of Canada formed a group to organize a competition for 1968. This group was independently incorporated as the Canadian Film Awards; its executive was members of industry associations, guilds and unions. Not represented was the Quebec Association of Independent Filmmakers which declined due to its objection to competition among filmmakers.
The awards categories were restructured, and craft categories and new special awards were introduced. For the first time, awards were presented to actors and actresses; and it was the last year in which awards were presented for amateur films. A statue was commissioned from sculptor Sorel Etrog, public screenings were instituted, and the selection process was revamped, with nomination committees pre-selecting entries for consideration by a five-member international jury. For this year, 181 films were entered, and the committees nominated 50 for final consideration. But the jury ignored committee recommendations for Best Cinematography and Best Direction and made its own choices. As a result, the voting process was changed for 1969.[1]