LOS ANGELES (CP) _ Ryan Gosling, Paul Haggis and Deepa Mehta were among the Canuck film luminaries invited to lunch with the consul general of Canada on Thursday in advance of this weekend’s Academy Awards.

Gosling, originally from London, Ont., is nominated in the best actor category for his dark portrayal of a drug-addicted teacher in "Half Nelson."

Fellow Londoner Haggis _ the toast of the Oscars last year after his film "Crash" won best picture _ is up for a screenwriting award on Sunday for the Clint Eastwood war saga "Letters From Iwo Jima."

Mehta’s film "Water" is competing in the best foreign-language film category. She is from Toronto.

Other invitees to the lunch hosted by Consul General Alain Dudoit are Montrealer Torill Kove, nominated for her animated short "The Danish Poet," and Paul Massey, who is up for a sound mixing award for "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest." Massey was born in England but lived in Toronto for 13 years.

The Oscars will be handed out Sunday night, beginning at 8 p.m. ET.