Canadian talent in the spotlight at 3rd annual celebration in Los Angeles, An Evening with Canada's Stars

• Adam Beach, Lyriq Bent and Emmanuelle Chriqui to appear as presenters
• Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara to receive Academy's Legacy Award
• Academy Awards and Canadian Screen Awards nominees in attendance
• Canadian stars to include Amanda Crew, Tricia Helfer, Greyston Holt, Jonathan Keltz, Sarah Rafferty, Maxim Roy, Amanda Silk, David Sutcliffe and Laura Vandervoort

MONTREAL, Feb. 18, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - Telefilm Canada, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television and the Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles are co-hosting a celebration of Canadian excellence in the entertainment industry. The third annual An Evening with Canada's Stars, presented by CTV's ETALK, will take place February 25, 2016 at the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills. Invitees include Canadian Academy Awards nominees, select Canadian Screen Awards nominees and other high-profile Canadian talent. Adam Beach, Lyriq Bent and Emmanuelle Chriqui will join event host and ETALK anchor Ben Mulroney to pay tribute to this year's nominees.

Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara will receive the Academy Legacy Award from the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, for their unflagging dedication in bringing international acclaim to Canadian talent in film, television or digital media.

Also invited to An Evening with Canada's Stars, which takes place a few days before the Oscars on February 28, are key industry players and media; Canada's organizations and supporters are joining forces to position talent and filmmakers on the global stage.

"2016 is off to a roaring start with talent from Canada powering 20 Oscar nominations and a Technical Achievement Award," said Carolle Brabant, Executive Director of Telefilm Canada. "And for the first time ever two Canadian coproductions—Room, produced by No Trace Camping, and Brooklyn, produced by Item 7—are in the running for Best Picture."

James Villeneuve, Consul General of Canada in Los Angeles, added: "Canada's talent—on screen and behind the scenes—is a sign of the strength of the entire range of Canadian creative industries. It's a great moment to celebrate our filmmakers' achievements and keep building on the momentum of our successful partnerships in the US and elsewhere."

Martin Katz, Chair of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, added: "It's been a record-breaking year for Canadian film. For the first time, we announced 10 Best Picture nominations for the Canadian Screen Awards, and we're really proud that Canada is playing so well internationally. We're particularly pleased that the Canadian Screen Awards line-up of nominees may well be the most diverse in the world."

Mary Ann Turcke, President, Bell Media, added: "We are honoured to celebrate Canadian creative excellence as part of An Evening with Canada's Stars for the second year in a row. CTV's ETALK takes great pride in promoting Canadian talent throughout the year, and this event is the perfect platform to once again shine the spotlight on the amazing success of our homegrown stars."

Preceding the reception, the City of Toronto is hosting a networking cocktail to foster business relations between Toronto and Los Angeles industry representatives. The City of Toronto is proud to host this event to help celebrate the first year of their partnership with An Evening with Canada's Stars.

Air Canada has also signed on for the first time as a partner. Robert Trudeau, Senior Director, Corporate and Business Development Sales, Air Canada, added: "Air Canada is an ardent supporter of Canadian film, both through sponsorship of the Air Canada enRoute Film Festival and by exhibiting Canadian shorts and movies on our aircraft for 41 million customers each year. The vibrant film communities across Canada, in particular Toronto, have many natural linkages with Los Angeles and we are proud to play a role in fostering these important artistic exchanges and business connections by being the largest carrier operating between Los Angeles and Toronto."

Additional attendees to include: Benjamin Ayres (Saving Hope), Jillian Barberie (Good Day LA), Adam Benzine (Oscar-nominated director, Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah), Andrew Cividino (Canadian Screen Award-nominated director, Sleeping Giant), Robert Cohen (Being Canadian), Amanda Crew (Silicon Valley), Jessi Cruickshank (CTV's ETALK), Kristian Bruun (Orphan Black), Brett Dier (Jane the Virgin), Yanick Dusseault (visual effects art director, Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens), Danielle Graham (CTV's ETALK), David Gross (Oscar- and Canadian Screen Award-nominated producer, Room), Tricia Helfer (Ascension), Benjamin Hollingsworth (Code Black), Greyston Holt (Bitten), Jonathan Keltz (Reign), Anthony Konechny (Fifty Shades of Grey), Christie Laing (Once Upon a Time), Robert Lantos (Canadian Screen Award-nominated producer, Remember), Dan Levy (Schitt's Creek), Adrian Luces, Executive Director, PAL Canada (Academy Humanitarian Award), Lainey Lui (CTV's ETALK and The Social), Paul Massey (Oscar-nominated sound mixer, The Martian), Robert Pandini (Oscar-nominated hair and makeup artists, The Revenant), Tahmoh Penikett (Supernatural), Amanda Plummer (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire), Hamish Purdy (Oscar-nominated production designer, The Revenant), Sarah Rafferty (Suits), Laura Regan (Minority Report), Maxim Roy (Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments), Julia Taylor Ross (Saving Hope), Anna Silk (Lost Girl), Kim Shaw (Saving Hope), David Sutcliffe (Gilmore Girls), Luzer Twersky (Felix and Meira), Laura Vandervoort (Bitten), Richard Williams (Oscar-nominated director, Prologue) and more.

The initiative is made possible by our partners:
Presenting Sponsor: CTV's ETALK
Partners: Canada's Walk of Fame and the Toronto International Film Festival
Major Sponsor: City of Toronto
Official Canadian Airline: Air Canada
Official Media Partner: The Hollywood Reporter
Contributing Sponsors: AMC, Canadian Media Producers Association, Pinewood Toronto Studios
Supporting Sponsors: Alberta Film, Canada Media Fund, Creative BC, Entertainment Partners Canada, Ontario Media Development Corporation, SODEC
With special thanks to the Talent Fund

The event hashtag is #CanadaStars.

For more information on Canadian Screen Award nominees click here.
For more information on the Academy Awards nominees click here.

About Telefilm Canada—Inspired by talent. Viewed everywhere.
Created in 1967, Telefilm is dedicated to the cultural, commercial and industrial success of Canada's audiovisual industry. Through its various funding and promotion programs, Telefilm supports dynamic companies and creative talent here at home and around the world. Telefilm also makes recommendations regarding the certification of audiovisual treaty coproductions to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, and administers the programs of the Canada Media Fund and the Talent Fund, a private donation initiative. Visit telefilm.ca and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/telefilm_canada and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/telefilmcanada.

About the Academy
The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is a national, non-profit, professional association dedicated to the promotion, recognition and celebration of exceptional achievements in Canadian film, television and digital media. Unifying industry professionals across Canada, the Academy is a vital force representing all screen-based industries.

About the Canadian Screen Awards and Canadian Screen Week
The Academy's Canadian Screen Awards is the annual awards show to celebrate the best in film, television and digital media; they are part of Canadian Screen Week (March 7-13, 2016) and the two-hour Live Broadcast Gala will air Sunday, March 13 at 8pm ET (9 AT | 9:30 NT) on CBC.

About the Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles
The Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles covers the territory of Southern California, Arizona and Nevada. The Consulate promotes trade and investment, encourages bilateral relations between Canada and the region and works to raise awareness of key issues of importance to Canada and Canadians.

SOURCE Telefilm Canada

Source: Telefilm Canada, Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles; For more information please contact: Steven Wilson, B|W|R Public Relations, [email protected]