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"Eastern Promises," a thriller by Canadian director David Cronenberg, won the Cadillac People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival which closed Saturday September 15th after screening 349 films over ten days.
Since Cronenberg is busy doing promotion for the film in New York, the award, voted by the festival audiences, was accepted by his long-time distributor and colleague, Victor Loewy, at a Awards Reception held in the Fairmont Royal York hotel.
The London-set film follows the mysterious and ruthless Nikolai (starred by Viggo Mortensen), a Russian gangster tied to one of London's most notorious organized crime families. His carefully maintained existence is shaken when he crosses paths with Anna (starred by Naomi Watts), an innocent midwife who accidentally uncovers potential evidence against the family.
The Prize of the International Critics Association (FIPRESCI Prize) went to Rodrigo Pla's "LA ZONA," a revenge drama set around a gated community in Mexico City. This award is annually bestowed upon a feature film directed by an emerging film-maker, and making its world premiere at the festival.
The Diesel Discovery Award, voted on by the 1,000 members of the international media attending the festival, was awarded to "Cochochi," from directors Israel Cardenas and Laura Amelia Guzman. The film is about two brothers who become separated when attempting to deliver a package to a faraway community.
The Artistic Innovation award went to another Spanish-language film, Anahi Berneri's "Encarnacion," an Argentinean film about an aging actress who returns to her hometown, which was cited by the jury for its "critique of mainstream cinema" and issues around the "fetishization of the female body."
The Toronto International Film Festival, now in its 32nd year, is widely recognized as the most important film festival after Cannes and the most successful public film festival in the world.
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