The 37th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) comes to a close today and we’re just finishing up some of our last bit of coverage on it, but they’ve just announced this year’s awards winners with David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook, starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro and Chris Tucker taking the coveted Blackberry People’s Choice Award.
As was mentioned in promos before each screening, other previous TIFF Audience Award winners include Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire and Tom Hooper’s The King’s Speech, both which went on to win Best Picture at the Oscars. Silver Linings Playbook is scheduled for release by The Weinstein Company on November 21. (You can read our review of Russell’s movie here.)
The Blackberry People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award went to Martin McDonagh’s dark crime-comedy Seven Psychopaths, starring Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson and Christopher Walken, while the People’s Choice Documentary Award went to Bartholomew Cubbins’ Artifact, which documents the lawsuit between Jared Leto’s band Thirty Seconds to Mars against their record label.
Brandon Cronenberg’s Antiviral and Jason Buxton’s Blackbird tied for the award for Best Canadian First Feature Film with Cronenberg being the son of Toronto’s own TIFF vet David Cronenberg.
Here is the complete press release from TIFF, including all of this year’s awards winners:
TORONTO The 37th Toronto International Film Festival announced its award recipients today at a reception at the Intercontinental Hotel Toronto.
AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN SHORT FILM
The winner of the Award for Best Canadian Short Film goes to Deco Dawson for Keep a Modest Head. The jury, comprised of journalist and author Matthew Hays, journalist Katrina Onstad and filmmaker Reginald Harkema, remarked: For the winner of this years best short, we chose a film that expands the boundaries of documentary, one that perfectly reflects its surreal subject. The award offers a $10,000 cash prize. The honourable mention goes to Mike Clattenburgs Crackin Down Hard for its unpredictable zaniness.
The Canadian awards below were selected by a jury comprised of producer and filmmaker Jody Shapiro, CPH PIX Festival Director Jacob Neiiendam, actor and filmmaker Valerie Buhagiar and director, writer and producer Patricia Rozema.
THE CITY OF TORONTO + CANADA GOOSE AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM
The City of Toronto + Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film goes to Xavier Dolans Laurence Anyways. The jury remarked: For its breathless cinematic energy and its entirely new love story, the jury felt honoured to watch such unfettered genius at play. For Best Canadian Feature Film, we have unanimously chosen Xavier Dolans Laurence Anyways.
This award is made possible thanks to the City of Toronto and Canada Goose and comes with a cash prize of $30,000.
THE SKYY VODKA AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FIRST FEATURE FILM
The SKYY Vodka Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film is a tie between Brandon Cronenbergs Antiviral and Jason Buxtons Blackbird. The jury remarked: For Best Canadian First Feature Film, we have made a decision that reflects the broad spectrum of Canadian styles and voices. The prize this year has been split between Blackbird, for its authenticity and clear-eyed social conscience, and for its ambitious commentary and visual sophistication, Antiviral. Generously supported by SKYY Vodka, the award carries a cash prize of $15,000. TIFF takes great pride in our role of supporting championing emerging filmmakers and as such, TIFF will be doubling the prize, so that both Brandon and Jason will receive a cash prize of $15,000 each.
THE PRIZES OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRITICS (FIPRESCI PRIZES)
The Festival welcomed an international FIPRESCI jury for the 21st consecutive year. The jury members consist of jury president Peter Keough (United States), Jon Asp (Sweden), Ashok Rane (India), Louis-Paul Rioux (Canada), Juan Manuel Dominguez (Argentina) and Brian McKechnie (Canada).
The Prize of the International Critics (FIPRESCI Prize) for Special Presentations is awarded to Francois Ozons Dans la maison (In the House). The jury remarked: For achieving an exquisitely crafted entertainment that blurs the distinction between the storyteller and the story told, and that assuages with playful complexity the tragedies of life with the consolations of art, the FIPRESCI award for Special Presentations goes to Francois Ozons In the House.
Prize of the International Critics (FIPRESCI) for the Discovery programme is awarded to Mikael Marcimains Call Girl. The jury remarked: With an intense sense of cinema reminiscent of the American thrillers of the 1970s, Mikael Marcimains debut feature achieves a portrait of an obscure world involving womens rights and political corruption. Marcimain deals with his sensitive subject with immense ease and craftsmanship. Because of these accomplishments the FIPRESCI Award for Best Film in the Discovery programme goes to Mikael Marcimains Call Girl.
BLACKBERRY® PEOPLES CHOICE AWARDS
The BlackBerry People’s Choice Award is voted on by Festival audiences. This years award goes to David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook. The film is an intense, loving, emotional and funny family story from the director of The Fighter, David O. Russell, in which Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence find themselves partners in a secret arrangement to rebuild their broken lives. Robert De Niro yearns to get closer to his son (Cooper), as he tries to keep the family afloat with his compulsive bookmaking. The award offers a $15,000 cash prize and custom award, sponsored by BlackBerry. First runner up is Ben Afflecks Argo. The second runner up is Eran Riklis Zaytoun.
The Festival presents a free screening of the award-winning film Silver Linings Playbook tonight. The screening takes place at 6 p.m. at the Ryerson Theatre. Tickets will be available on a first-come, first served basis beginning at 4 p.m. at Ryerson Theatre.
The BlackBerry Peoples Choice Midnight Madness Award goes to Martin McDonaghs Seven Psychopaths. Seven Psychopaths follows a struggling screenwriter (Colin Farrell) who inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends (Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell) kidnap a gangsters (Woody Harrelson) beloved Shih Tzu. Co-starring Abbie Cornish, Tom Waits, Olga Kurylenko and Zeljko Ivanek. First runner up is Barry Levinsons The Bay and second runner up is Don Coscarellis John Dies at the End.
The BlackBerry Peoples Choice Documentary Award goes to Bartholomew Cubbins for Artifact. Telling harsh truths about the modern music business, Artifact gives intimate access to singer/actor Jared Leto and his band Thirty Seconds to Mars as they battle their label in a brutal lawsuit and record their album This Is War. First runner up is Christopher Nelius and Justin McMillans Storm Surfers 3D. Second runner up is Rob Stewarts Revolution.
NETPAC AWARD
New this year is the NETPAC Award for the Best First or Second Feature World or International Asian Film Premiere, as selected by a jury from the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema. Jury members include Laurice Guillen (Philippines), Shelly Kraicer (Toronto/Beijing) and Azize Tan (Istanbul).The award goes to Sion Sonos The Land of Hope. The jury remarked: For its subtle, complex and artful account of the social and political aspects of a national trauma that ends in hope and love, the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival NETPAC Award for best feature film is given to The Land of Hope by Sion Sono.
Earlier in the Festival, the inaugural winner of the Grolsch Film Works Discovery Award was announced. The award went to Rola Nashef whose film, Detroit Unleaded, was presented as part of the Discovery programme. Nashef was presented with the award which includes a $10,000 cash prize to put toward her next project.
About TIFF
TIFF is a charitable cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. An international leader in film culture, TIFF projects include the annual Toronto International Film Festival in September; TIFF Bell Lightbox, which features five cinemas, major exhibitions, and learning and entertainment facilities; and innovative national distribution program Film Circuit. The organization generates an annual economic impact of $170 million CAD. TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including Founding Sponsor Bell, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation and RBC. For more information, visit tiff.net.
The Toronto International Film Festival is generously supported by Lead Sponsor Bell, Major Sponsors RBC, L’Oréal Paris, Visa and Audi, and Major Supporters the Government of Ontario, Telefilm Canada and the City of Toronto.
