Festival - Day 9 - 2009

Posted on: 19 September 2009 by Thom Ernst

Well, Peter O'Brian pegged it. PRECIOUS won the Cadillac People's Choice Award. O'Brian picked it as the winner very early into the festival.

While Alex was still out catching films at the festival (he went to see MOTHER AND CHILD and later in the evening had the Korean MOTHER scheduled - notice a theme?) I was busy taking snaps of the award winners at this years Festival.

The awards brunch was held in a modest room on the lower level of the Hotel Intercontinental on Front street. The crowd was a small but festive group who seemed happy have been part of the 2009 festival.

Present were TVO's Debra Bennett and our CEO Lisa De Wilde (see above).

The winner of the best Canadian short film went to Pedro Pires for DANSE MACABRE. The award comes with a $10,000 cash prize.

Pedro Pires wins for DANSE MACABRE

The SKYY Vodka award for best Canadian first feature went to Alexandre Franchi for THE WILD HUNT. The award comes with a $15,000 cash prize.

Alexandre Franchi wins for The Wild Hunt

The City of Toronto and Astral Media TMN award for best Canadian Feature went to a very excited Ruba Nadda for CAIRO TIME. The award carries a $30,000 cash prize.

Ruba Nadda wins for CAIRO TIME

Ruba Nadda

The prize for the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI prize) for Discovery went to Laxmikant Shetgaonker for THE MAN BEYOND THE BRIDGE from India.

The prize for FIPRESCI Special Presentations went to Bruno Dumont for HADEWIJCH.

Bruno Dumont addresses the crowd

The Cadillac People’s Choice Award went to Lee Daniels' PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL "PUSH" BY SAPPHIRE. Runner-ups for the award are Bruce Beresford’s MAO'S LAST DANCER and Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s MICMACS.

Leanne Pooley wins for her documentary THE TOPP TWINS.

Two new Cadillac People’s Choice Awards were added this year for Documentary and Midnight Madness. Leanne Pooley’s THE TOPP TWINS won for best documentary (Michael Moore’s CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY was runner-up)

TIFF programmers Thom Powers and Midnight Madness's Colin Geddes

Sean Byrne's THE LOVED ONES won for Midnight Madness with Michael and Peter Spierig’s DAYBREAKERS as the runner-up.

Cameron Bailey

But while the awards ceremony may signal an end to the 2009 Festival for the programmers, critics, and filmmakers, it continues on for the public. People line up for The Roy Thompson Hall gala screening of WHAT'S YOUR RAASHEE?