TORONTO — "Splice," the Canuck horror film starring Sarah Polley and Adrien Brody, has been named the highest-grossing Canadian film of 2010.

Telefilm Canada presented director Vincenzo Natali and co-writer Doug Taylor with the Golden Box Office Award this morning at a Toronto genetics lab.

The two men each receive a cheque for $20,000.

In "Splice," Polley and Brody play hot-shot scientists who create a horrific human-animal hybrid.

The film grossed $2.1 million in domestic box office sales and $26.9 million worldwide.

Natali, who burst onto the scene with his surreal 1997 feature, "Cube," thanked Telefilm for supporting homegrown talent.

"Making movies is much like making a monster, you don't know what terror you've wrought until it has escaped from the lab," Natali said in a statement.

"The fact that 'Splice' was a box office success in its native country is another testament to Telefilm's foresight and their faith in Canadian filmmakers to produce popular entertainment. Without their support this strange but beautiful creature could never have come to life."

The inaugural Goldie was handed last year to the director and writers of "Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day." That film grossed $2.9 million in Canada in 2009.

"An award like this reminds me and my fellow writers that we can stay in Canada, create an ambitious feature film for worldwide release, and remain generously supported here at home," Taylor said in a statement.

Telefilm is a government-funded agency that supports Canadian film.