TORONTO – A raw film about an abused teen named Precious has won the
audience choice award at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The
harrowing tale, “Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire,” snags
the coveted award on the last day of the festival with observers
predicting more success come Oscar time.
Before coming to Toronto, the film wowed audiences at Sundance, taking the grand jury and audience awards there.
Piers
Handling, co-director of the Toronto festival, says “Precious”’s
remarkable success is not unlike last year’s surprise sensation,
“Slumdog Millionaire.”
After winning the audience choice award in Toronto, “Slumdog” went on to sweep the big categories at the Oscars.
Other
prizes handed out at the Toronto fest include best Canadian feature
film, which went to Ruba Nadda’s “Cairo Time;” best Canadian first
feature film, which went to Alexandre Franchi for “The Wild Hunt,” and
best Canadian short film, which went to Pedro Pires for “Danse Macabre.”
The awards helped wrap 10 days of movie madness.
Saturday’s
closing night film was to be “The Young Victoria” starring Emily Blunt
and directed by Quebec’s Jean-Marc Vallee, who helmed 2005’s
“C.R.A.Z.Y.”
More than 300 films were screened during the fest, which drew megastars including George Clooney, Matt Damon and Oprah Winfrey.
