Official statement by Carolle Brabant, Executive Director of Telefilm Canada, on Canadian award winners at 40th Toronto International Film Festival

Montréal, September 21, 2015 – “On behalf of Telefilm Canada, I warmly applaud the Canadian award winners at the 40th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which wrapped up yesterday. The eight titles acclaimed at this major Canadian film event reflect a richly diverse industry that embraces emerging and seasoned talent from across the country!

“Two directors saw their first features take top honours. Andrew Cividino won the Best Canadian First Feature Film prize for Sleeping Giant, which premiered at the prestigious Cannes Critics’ Week last spring.

“Stephen Dunn took home the Canada Goose award for Best Canadian Feature Film with Closet Monster, making its world premiere at TIFF. In the same competition, Philippe Falardeau’s latest film, My Internship in Canada, was awarded an honourable mention.

“The Canada-Ireland coproduction Room, by Lenny Abrahamson, won the coveted Grolsch People’s Choice Award. This victory once again confirms that there’s strength in numbers and that coproduction, which Telefilm strongly champions, pays off.

“Filmmaker Alan Zweig was awarded the Toronto Platform Prize, worth $25,000, for the documentary Hurt, and Patrice Laliberté, from Quebec, won the Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film with Viaduc (Overpass).

“Avi Lewis and Brian D. Johnson were runners-up for the Grolsch People’s Choice Documentary Award with their respective films This Changes Everything and Al Purdy Was Here.

“Once again, I am delighted to see that our cinema is alive and well, that our talent stands out at home and abroad, and that our industry is working with us to encourage success stories like these.  Congratulations to the winners and thanks to the TIFF organizers for making this festival an absolute must!”