September 17 , 2005

INTERNATIONAL AND CANADIAN FILMS HONOURED AT CLOSING AWARDS EVENT

Toronto – With a total of 335 films (including 109 world and 78 North American premieres), from 52 countries, screened over 10 days, the 30th Toronto International Film Festival wrapped on Saturday, September 17 with an awards cocktail at the Hilton Hotel Toronto.

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD
The People’s Choice Award is voted on by Festival audiences – known worldwide for their enthusiasm and love of cinema. The 2005 award goes to Gavin Hood's TSOTSI (UK/South Africa), based on the novel by Athol Fugard and traces six days in the lonely, violent life of Tsotsi (meaning "thug"), a ruthless, young gang leader.

DISCOVERY AWARD
Sarah Watt's LOOK BOTH WAYS (Australia) is the recipient of the Discovery Award. The film chronicles the lives of a collection of characters over an uncomfortably hot weekend who are confronting various crises in the wake of a train accident. The press corps, which consists of more than 750 international media, voted on the Discovery Award. The award offers a $15,000 cash prize.

FIPRESCI PRIZE
The FIPRESCI Prize is awarded to South Korean director Kang Yi-kwan for SA-KWA (South Korea). SA-KWA follows an emotionally damaged woman as she searches for true love. This prize is annually bestowed upon a feature film directed by an emerging filmmaker, and making its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The Festival welcomed an international FIPRESCI jury for the 14th consecutive year. The 2005 jury is president Howard Feinstein (Freelance, Indiewire, USA), Rui Pedro Tendinha (Noticias Magazine, Portugal), and Charles-St phane Roy (ICI Montr al, Canada).

CITYTV AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FIRST FEATURE FILM
There is a tie for the Citytv Award for Best Canadian First Feature. The award goes to Louise Archambault's FAMILIA and Michael Mabbott's THE LIFE AND HARD TIMES OF GUY TERRIFICO. Archambault's FAMILIA is a taut, fast-paced, and visually inventive film that tackles the complexities that arise from familial bonds with humour, sympathy, and a pervasive air of bittersweet desperation. The jury selected FAMILIA for its "strong female cast, accomplished directing, finely observed writing and skill at balancing a variety of tones."

Mabbott's THE LIFE AND HARD TIMES OF GUY TERRIFICO is the journey through fictional singer Guy Terrifico's (Matt Murphy) strange and debatably short life. The film takes the audience from the wilds of Canada to the wild times of Nashville and London, and features contemporaries such as Kris Kristofferson, Ronnie Hawkins, Levon Helm, and Merle Haggard (all playing themselves). The jury selected THE LIFE AND HARD TIMES OF GUY TERRIFICO "for its witty and entertaining satire of the music industry, its exuberant performances and its deadpan comedy cinema verite techniques." Established by sponsor Citytv, the award carries a cash prize of $15,000, which will be split among the recipients, and is presented to a Canadian filmmaker whose first feature film is considered exemplary. This award acknowledges the fresh new talent emerging within Canadian cinema.

TORONTO – CITY AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM
The Toronto – City Award for Best Canadian Feature Film goes to C.R.A.Z.Y. directed by Jean-Marc Vallée. Vallée's wildly entertaining film is an ambitious and magical cinematic homage to the pop-culture-saturated middle class of the seventies. Zachary Beaulieu (Marc-André Grondin), a sexually confused teenager with an affinity for Bruce Lee, John Lennon and, most importantly, David Bowie, tries to survive four rough-and-tumble brothers and win the affection of his loving but old-fashioned father (Michel Côté). The jury selected C.R.A.Z.Y. "for its standout acting, its incredible emotional resonance and extraordinary visual inventiveness." Presented annually at the Toronto International Film Festival and 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.

CANADIAN FEATURE FILM AWARDS JURY
The Citytv Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film and the Toronto – City Award for Best Canadian Feature Film were selected by the following jury members: Kay Armatage, Associate Professor of cinema, women's and gender studies at the University of Toronto; Ellen Baine, Vice-President of Programming at CHUM Television; journalist Leonard Klady; award-winning filmmaker and professor Brenda Longfellow; and acclaimed director and producer Ron Mann (GO FURTHER).

BRAVO!FACT SHORT CUTS CANADA AWARD
The Bravo!FACT Short Cuts Canada Award offers a $10,000 cash prize. The award goes to Renuka Jeyapalan's BIG GIRL. The jury selected BIG GIRL "for the poignant portrayal of the complex issues facing single parent families and its skillful mix of drama and comedy, and for the nuanced performances of Kris Holden-Ried, and Samantha Weinstein." Honourable mention goes to Andrea Dorfman's THERE'S A FLOWER IN MY PEDAL. The jury consists of actor Rachel McAdams (THE WEDDING CRASHERS; RED-EYE); director Rob Stefaniuk (PHIL THE ALIEN); and Lois Vossen, Emmy Award-winning series producer of the weekly PBS series "Independent Lens."

Canada First! and Short Cuts Canada is generously sponsored by CHUM Television.
The Short Cuts Canada award is generously sponsored by
Bravo!FACT (Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent)
The Awards Reception is generously sponsored by the Hilton Hotel Toronto.