‘The Imitation Game’ Nabs Top Prize in Toronto

Morten Tyldum’s The Imitation Game was the top prize winner at Toronto Sunday. The film, starring Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek Into Darkness) as Alan Turing – the English mathematician who broke the Nazi’s Enigma code during World War II – won the People’s Choice Award, the main award at the film festival.

Last year, the winner of Toronto’s People Choice Award, 12 Years A Slave eventually went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. 12 Years A Slave followed a tradition of People’s Choice winners that ultimately claimed the Best Picture Oscar. Out of the past six years, those films include The King’s Speech, Slumdog Millionaire, and last year’s Slave.

Toronto’s People Choice Award is unique in that it is voted by the audience, whereas other festivals have a selected jury determine their top prize winners. The first runner up was Isabel Coixet’s Learning to Drive, the Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kingsley starring film which tells the story of a recently separated woman whom takes driving lessons from a Sikh driving instructor. The second runner up was the Bill Murray starring St. Vincent directed by Theodore Melfi.

Overall, The Weinstein Company had a successful night with The Imitation Game and St. Vincent both competing for the top prize in Toronto.

The rest of the winners include:

People’s Choice Award (Documentary):
 Beats of the Antonov directed by Hajooj Kuka
First Runner Up: Do I Sound Gay? directed by David Thorpe
Second Runner Up: Seymour: An Introduction directed by Ethan Hawke

People’s Choice Award (Midnight Madness): What We Do in the Shadows directed by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement
First Runner Up: Tusk directed by Kevin Smith
Second Runner Up: Big Game directed by Jalmari Helander

Best Canadian Feature Film:
 Felix and Meira directed by Maxime Giroux
Best Canadian First Feature Film: Bang Bang Baby directed by Jeffrey St. Jules

Prizes of the International Critics for Special Presentations Section:
 Time Out of Mind directed by Oren Moverman

Prizes of the International Critics for Discovery Section:
 May Allah Bless France! directed by Abd Al Malik
NETPAC Award For Best Asian Film:
 Margarita, With a Straw directed by Shonali Bose