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[VIDEO] “Where Do We Go Now?” earns the Cadillac People’s Choice Award for favourite film of the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival

Monday, September 19th, 2011

[VIDEO] In a slight upset, a foreign language film set in war-torn Lebanon emerged as the people’s choice favourite of the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. “Where Do We Go Now?” from Lebanese-Canadian director and actor Nadine Labaki won the 2011 Cadillac People’s Choice Award – an accolade that usually signals more recognition is to come for the film. Labaki’s film has already been announced as Lebanon’s official entry into Oscar consideration for best foreign language film. The TIFF award should further help it make the coveted short-list of Academy Award considerations once the nominations are announced early next year.

The Cadillac People’s Choice award also includes a $15,000 cash prize. Festival programmer Rasha Salti, accepted the award on the director’s behalf, who was in the process of flying back to Lebanon. “I’m thrilled, I’m happy, I’m ecstatic, I’m excited… I’m running around jumping up and down at the Frankfurt airport. Tomorrow we’ll be screening ‘Where Do We Go Now?’ for the first time in Lebanon and I will be proud and happy to announce the news in front of my crew, my family and the Lebanese audience.” Labaki said in a statement emailed to TIFF.

“The Island President” won the Cadillac People’s Choice Award for favorite documentary. Thom Powers, documentary programmer for TIFF accepted the award on the filmmaker’s behalf. Said Powers, “The President came here from the Maldives . He was watching the film for the first time along with the audience. There was something so exciting about that experience, it translated to the audience and elevated the film to the People’s Choice Award.” The TIFF premiere also marked the first time a sitting President in power had ever visited the Festival.

“The Raid” was voted favourite Midnight Madness feature and writer-director Gareth Evans, along with stars Iko Uwais and Joe Taslim were on hand at the awards brunch to accept their Cadillac People’s Choice Award.
M.J. Comeau, VP of Sales for GM Canada presents the Cadillac People’s Choice Awards to the winning films. (photos: George Pimentel. video/editing: Mike Edge.)

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Fade to Black – The Cadillacs have wrapped their starring role in the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

We have wrapped! And what an amazing TIFF’09 it has been. We put our best shine on and traveled to 21 Gala film premieres at Roy Thomson Hall and hundreds more at other Toronto theatres. We have met wonderful people from the United States, Europe, India, Asia, The Middle East, and Australia. We got numerous movie stars, TIFF helpers, worried publicists, (and one particular tiffinsider) to their screenings and press engagements on time. We even occasionally got that curious “what stars are you riding with?” look from Toronto bystanders. We have been left with the enchanting scents of beautiful actresses and actors – and even the occasional mess of an entourage. Our GPS was kept busy – often racing from red carpet premieres to trendy Toronto hot-spots. And yes, we even found time for an exotic drink or two (non-alcoholic of course, we were driving after all.) And we’ll be back to do it all over again. Perhaps in a slightly different shape, size, or colour next year. See you on roads in 2010!