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 EASTERN PROMISES (David Cronenberg)

Monday, September 17---------The Toronto International Film Festival marathon (365 films in 10 days.....pant, pant) came to a close on Saturday evening with the announcement of the film awards at the historic Fairmont Royal York Hotel. While the Festival is mainly a non-competitive affair, the Canadian entries are up for a number of awards, which only helps to strengthen their international profile.

Toronto International Film Festival Award Winners

AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN SHORT FILM
The award for Best Canadian Short Film goes to Chris Chong Chan Fui's POOL. The award offers a $10,000 cash prize. The jury stated its motivation as "telling us this story with restraint, subtlety and compassion." The 2007 short film jury members are filmmaker Brad Peyton; Director of Original Production for Showcase, Rachel Fulford, and Berlin-based curator Stefanie Schulte Strathaus.
 

CITYTV AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FIRST FEATURE FILM
The Citytv Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film was given to Quebec director Stéphane Lafleur's CONTINENTAL, UN FILM SANS FUSIL. The film follows four people whose lives unexpectedly intersect due to one man's disappearance in the woods. The jury was pleased to present this award to "a film with singular vision, an economical and subtle beauty and a cinematic maturity that belies the director’s relative inexperience." Established by sponsor Citytv, the award carries a cash prize of $15,000.

TORONTO-CITY AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM
The Toronto-City Award for Best Canadian Feature Film was awarded to Guy Maddin's MY WINNIPEG. Maddin's very personal portrait of his hometown is a poetic meditation – a docu-fantasia – on Winnipeg's history as well as his own childhood. The jury stated that "in a year when many masters of Canadian cinema have made new and exciting movies, one film stands above as a work of remarkable ingenuity, originality and that, within its specific, personal vision finds a universal appeal." Generously co-sponsored by the City of Toronto and Citytv, the Toronto-City Award for Best Canadian Feature Film carries a cash prize of $30,000.

DIESEL DISCOVERY AWARD
The DIESEL Discovery award was awarded to Israel Cárdenas and Laura Amelia Guzmán for their film COCHOCHI. After returning home from elementary boarding school, two brothers are sent to deliver a package to a far community in the Sierra Tarahumara, Mexico, by their grandfather. The Festival press corps, which consists of 1000 international media, voted on the DIESEL Discovery Award. The award offers a $10,000 cash prize and custom award sponsored by DIESEL Canada.

ARTISTIC INNOVATION AWARD
The Artistic Innovation Award honours the artistry, innovation and audacity of one of the Festival's inventive Visions titles as selected by an international industry jury of major visual artists. This year’s award was bestowed to Argentine director Anahí Berneri for ENCARNACIÓN. The film is the story of aging B-list actress who decides to make the difficult trip back to her hometown and face her family who knew her as Encarnación – the girl who fled to the city to sell her body in salacious B-films. The jury notes that the film "stands out for its economy of vision, superb direction and editing." The award offers a $10,000 cash prize.

PRIZE OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRITICS (FIPRESCI PRIZE)
The Prize of the International Critics (FIPRESCI Prize) was unanimously given to  Rodrigo Plá for the film LA ZONA. This prize is annually bestowed upon a feature film directed by an emerging filmmaker, and making its world premiere at the Festival.

CADILLAC PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD

The Cadillac People's Choice Award is voted on by Festival audiences. This year’s award was for local boy  David Cronenberg for his newest film  EASTERN PROMISES. In this absorbing thriller, Cronenberg reunites with his A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE leading man Viggo Mortensen in the story of  a Russian gangster tied to one of London’s most notorious organized crime families. First runner-up was Jason Reitman's JUNO and the second runner up was Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro's Iraq veteran documentary BODY OF WAR. The award offers a $15,000 cash prize and custom award, sponsored by Cadillac.

Sandy Mandelberger, Toronto FF Dailies Editor