Claude Jutra's name pulled from Quebec film industry awards amid sex scandal

QubecCinmasays it will remove ClaudeJutra'sname from its industry awards amid allegations the late filmmaker had sex with underage boys and in at least one case sexually abused a boy as young as six.

The organizers of the annual awards ceremonymade the announcement at a news conference Wednesday after Quebec Culture MinisterHlneDavid asked them to dropJutra'sname.

A biography released this week saidJutrahad sex with underage boys, while Montreal's LaPressequoted a man Wednesday as saying the filmmaker began touching him when he was six years old and that the abuse escalated over a 10-year period.

Patrick Roy, president ofQubecCinma'sboard of directors, said he was "completely shocked" by the allegations.

"Our role is not to do an inquiry about this or organize a trial,"Roy told the news conference.

"We are just making a decision about an award today. That's all we are doing."

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• ClaudeJutrasex allegations shake Quebec film industry
• ClaudeJutrahad sex with underage boys, new biography alleges

TheAcademy of Canadian Cinema & Television also announcedit will rename its ClaudeJutraAwardto the Canadian Screen Award forBest First Feature.

The man interviewed by LaPressesaidJutrawas a friend of his parents.

"He would always bring me presents,'' he said. "I was happy to see him. I was a kid. I would jump on his back and he would make me roll over. Everyone had the impression it was good fun."

The alleged victim saidJutrawould lie beside him in his bed and ask for long hugs before he began touching the boy's genitals.

He said the abuse heightened over the years and involved masturbation and oral sex.

No new name has been set for the nextQubecCinmagala, which is scheduled for March 20.

None of the allegations againstJutrahavebeen proven in court.

Culture minister wants review

Davidisseeking a list of all the places in the province that bear his name so municipalities can decide whether to keepthem.

"We have to take it seriously," David said."It's an unbearable situation."

Montreal Mayor DenisCoderreweighed in as well, sayingthe city would remove Jutra'sname from a downtown park as well as from a street in an east end borough.

"In light of what we've seen this morning, I've always said you can't defend the indefensible,''Coderresaid after the decision by the city's executive committee. "And we have to act quickly."

On Montreal's South Shore, Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville officials are also planning to presenta motion at thenext council meeting in March to change the name of a street named to honour Jutra.

Quebec City and Levis, which is across the St. Lawrence River from the provincial capital, also intend to rename the Claude-Jutra Street in their respective cities.

New biographydetails allegations

The initial allegations againstJutrasurfaced in abiography of the actor and director, who is considered a founding father of Quebec cinema.

In his book released Tuesday, author Yves Leverdevotes four pages toJutra'spredilectionforyoung boys, quoting friends ofJutra'swho said he'd had sexual relations with boys as young as 14 and 15.

Leversaid he conducted more than 30 interviews in researching hisbook. He saidfive or six people who were "very close" toJutracorroborated specific incidents ofJutra'sinvolvement with a series of underage boys.

"The main victim did not want to speak to me," despite several requests, Lever told Radio-Canada earlier this week.

Jutraisconsidered so important a figure inthe history of the province's film industry that Quebec'sannual film awards galaand the trophies themselves were named after him almost 20 years ago.

Jutracommitted suicide in 1986after battling Alzheimer'sdisease.

His best-known films includeMon oncleAntoineandKamouraska.

Places in Quebec namedafterJutra:

• CroissantClaude-Jutrain Montreal.
• Claude-JutraPark in Montreal.
• PlaceClaude-JutrainRepentigny.
• Claude-JutraStreet in Quebec City.
• Claude-JutraStreet inLvis.
• Claude-JutraStreet inSaint-Bruno-de-Montarville.
• Claude-JutraStreet inBlainville.
• JutraStreet inCandiac.