The 19th Genie Awards were held, by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, on February 4, 1999^[1] to honour Canadian films released in 1998. It marked only the second time in the 1990s, after the 16th Genie Awards in January 1996, that the awards were held in the winter of the year following the year in which eligible films were released, rather than the late fall of the same year; the awards have since retained the winter scheduling. The ceremony was once again aired on CBC Television, and a post-event highlights show aired on Radio Canada.^[2]

When the nominees were announced, many were surprised that four of the five nominees for Best Motion Picture were international co-productions, and there was discussion about whether or not the films were Canadian. Many people didn't realize that co-production was now a key component of film production in Canada, and that Canada had co-production treaties with 52 countries.^[2]

This year's ceremony, which was hosted by actor Albert Schultz, was dominated by Last Night and Such a Long Journey, which both received 12 nominations.^[3] However, The Red Violin won the most awards, with eight wins including Best Picture.^[4][5]