The most coveted among Toronto’s awards is its Cadillac Audience Award - given on the basis of the votes given by audiences to each film that they view. It is known that Toronto has the most wonderful film audience there could be. Film lovers come to the city from far and wide to see the feast of films that the festival offers. They line up dutifully for hours, rain or shine. They stay for the film’s question and answer sessions. They surround film makers after screenings wanting to know even more. And in this movie-driven city when an audience does not like a film, they will not be impolite or discourteous. They do not boo or catcall at will as in other festivals. They just quietly sit through or as quietly leave. More importantly, the audience award matters here because Hollywood is keeping its eyes and ears open for films in Toronto that create a buzz. The festival is known as a touchstone for possible Oscar contenders.

Predictably, the Cadillac Audience Award went to Danny Boyle’s film Slumdog Millionaire, a film that takes place entirely in India, and in Mumbai and Agra to be precise. On hand to receive the prize was the film’s young heroine, Frieda Pinto. She gave a delightful thank you speech in which she talked of being fortunate to be featured in such a hugely popular role in her very first feature film. She was mobbed by TV cameras and the press thereafter. Slumdog Millionaire, after its encouraging response in the festival, is being released in the US on September 29.

Even the Runner’s Up for the Audience Award are seen as box-office and Oscar winners. This year’s runners up were More Than A Game, by Kristopher Belman and The Stoning Of Soraya M, by Cyrus Nowrasteh. Some of the earlier winners in this category were Eastern Promises, Diva, Chariots Of Fire, Tsotsi, Hotel Rwanda and Whale Rider. The FIPRESCI Prize, selected by members of the international film critics’ organisation, went to Lymelife, by Derick Martini. It stars Alex Baldwin, Kieran and Rory Culkin, Emma Roberts, Timothy Hutton and Cynthia Nixon. It follows the fate of two troubled families. Hunger by Steve McQueen, won the Diesel Discovery Award. It tells the story of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands. Rodrigue Jean’s Lost Song, was named the best Canadian feature, and Before Tomorrow by Marie-Helene Cousineau and Madeline Piujug Ivalu which deals about an Inuit boy and his grandmother trapped on an island was named best Canadian first feature.