(February 7, 2008 - Montréal, Québec) -- The 2008 Jutra nominees have been announced at a "dévoilement" hosted by committee President Danielle Proulx and Délégué Général Henry Welsh in the ballroom of Montreal's Ritz Carlton Hotel, and comedian-writer-director Patrick Huard's hit comedy, Les 3 p'tits cochons, has picked up more nominations than any other 2007 release. The 13 nods included best film, actor, and screenplay, but not director, possibly because Cochons is Huard’s directorial debut.

Stéphane Lafleur’s Continental, un film sans fusil, an arthouse success and more likely candidate for multiple nominations than a commercial picture like Huard’s, did get nominated for best director, as well as film, screenplay, and cinematography. Producer Luc Déry told me he’s delighted by Continental's success, not to mention its 8 Jutra nominations. But he is also surprised that such a minimalist film would win the appreciation it deserves in categories like cinematography and editing.

As for Denys Arcand's L'âge des ténèbres, it’s been recognized in 6 categories, including best film, screenplay, and direction. Other movies vying for Jutras are the speed-metal action flick, Nitro, and the English-language depiction of General Roméo Dallaire’s nightmare in Rwanda, Shake Hands with the Devil.

Named for the late, revered moviemaker Claude Jutra, Quebec’s Jutra Awards were created ten years ago as a brash alternative to the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television’s Genies. Now firmly established, the Jutras, which will be announced in a gala televised ceremony on March 9, co-exist peacefully with the Genies (March 3). Winners of the Quebec prizes often, but not always, take Academy honours in the same categories.

In his remarks, Welsh, a crack Montreal publicist who has been instrumental in building the Jutras into a significant event, emphasized that the nominees are chosen by the film workers who are the bastions of the industry.