'Precious' Snags Toronto Audience Award

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," snagged the coveted award Saturday, the last day of the festival.

Before coming to Toronto, the film wowed audiences at the Sundance festival (where it debuted under the title "Push"), taking the grand jury and audience awards there.

Piers Handling, co-director of the Toronto festival, says the remarkable success of "Precious" 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.

First runner-up for the Audience Award was Bruce Beresford "Mao's Last Dancer." Second runner-up was Jean-Pierre Jeunet's "Micmacs" (Micmacs à tirelarigot).

The People's Choice Award - Documentary went to Leanne Pooley's "The Topp Twins," about "New Zealand finest lesbian country-and-western singers." Runner-up was Michael Moore's "Capitalism: A Love Story."

The People's Choice Award - Midnight Madness went to Sean Byrne's "The Loved Ones." Runner-up was Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig's "Daybreakers."

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 FIPRESCI Prize - Discovery, presented by the International Federation of Film Critics, went to Laxmikant Shetgaonkar for "The Man Beyond the Bridge" (India). The FIPRESCI Prize - Special Presentations was awarded to Bruno Dumont for "Hadewijch" (France).

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.

For more info:
Toronto International Film Festival