The Toronto International Film Festival officially ended Sunday, five days earlier than planned, due to the terrorist attacks on the United States on Sept. 11.
“We came here for a purpose, and now that purpose is gone,” Writers and Artists Agency’s Chris Schmidt told the Hollywood Reporter. “It’s such a shame. Last weekend I remember walking around thinking: ‘Gosh, this is such a great festival. Toronto is so beautiful.’ Now it’s all changed.”
The grim search for victims turned the announcement of award winners into a low-key affair when honors were handed out during a closing news conference.
The French film Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amelie Poulain (The Fabulous Destiny of Amelie Poulain) was given the People’s Choice Award; Singapore director Cheah Chee Kong won the Discovery Award for Chicken Rice War; the FIPRESCI Award went to another French film, Yamina Benguigui’s Inch’ Allah Dimanche; and the award for Canadian film went to Zacharias Kunuk’s Inuit-language film Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner).
