"Eastern Promises" wins Toronto Film Festival
 The films cast members Viggo Mortonsen (L), Naomi Watts and Vincent Cassel (R) pose with director David Cronenberg (2nd R) at the films premiere of "Eastern Promises" during the 32nd Toronto International Film Festival. |
Eastern Promises, a film set in London by acclaimed cult filmmaker David Cronenberg, won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, positioning itself as an early Oscar favorite. The festival's People's Choice Award, voted on by film-goers, often is an indicator of Academy Award nominations. Past films include best picture winners "American Beauty" and "Chariots of Fire."
The films star Viggo Mortensen plays a Russian mobster with Naomi Watts as an innocent midwife who finds an incriminating diary. Due to Cronenberg being occupied in New York for the films promotion, the award was accepted by Cronenberg's long-time colleague, Victor Loewy, who reported that Eastern Promises, which opened in limited release on Friday, was currently no. 1 in each of the theaters where it is playing.
The festival, which screened 349 films from 55 countries over ten days, drew superstars such as Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Cate Blanchett promoting their latest films.
The runner-up for the People's Choice award was a film by another Canadian, Jason Reitman. His comedy, "Juno" stars Ellen Page as a pregnant teenager who decides to put her baby up for adoption to a yuppie couple. The films director Jason Reitman is a follow-up effort to the 2005 festival favorite "Thank You for Smoking".
The second runner-up was "Body of War," a story of what happens to the wounded veterans who return home as told through the eyes of a paralyzed soldier injured in the Iraq war.
The documentary, independently financed and co-directed by former talk show host Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro, made its world premiere on September 11 to multiple standing ovations.
The Discovery Award, voted on by the festival press corps, went to the Mexican film "Cochochi," about the journeys of two brothers after they get lost on a trip across Mexico.
The Artistic Innovation Award went to "Encarnacion," from Argentinian filmmaker Anahi Berneri, and Rodrigo Pia's "La Zona," a Spanish-Mexican co-production, took the International Critics award. The latter prize honors a film by an emerging filmmaker making its world premier at the festival.
In the Canadian films categories, the Toronto-City Award for the best Canadian feature film went to Guy Maddin for "My Winnipeg," his personal portrait of his hometown and Stephane Lafleur won the prize for the best debut feature film by a Canadian for "Continental, Un Film Sans Fusil".
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