Room Takes Top Prize At Toronto worldwide Film Festival

Lenny Abrahamson’s adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s novel Room, based on the horrific tale of a woman enslaved by a madman, won the Toronto film festival’s top prize. Past winners include “12 Years a Slave” and “The King’s Speech“. Clearly it left a lasting impression on Toronto audiences.

When Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire won the award in 2008, the film was catapulted from relative obscurity to Oscars frontrunner.

Although Imitation Game took the prize previous year , eventual Oscar Best Picture victor Birdman skipped TIFF so wasn’t a factor and neither was the other strong BP contender, Boyhood which was already in theaters.

Room is an Element Pictures and No Trace Camping production, in association with Telefilm Canada, Film4, and the Irish Film Board.

“I’m so honored that “The Room” has been chosen by the TIFF audience.” said Abrahamson in a pre-written statement. “I may have to have a lie-down”.

Angry Indian Goddesses and Spotlight have been named runner-up films, while horror film Hardcore has picked up the People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award, and Winter On Fire: Ukraine’s Fight For Freedom was the victor of the Grolsch People’s Choice Documentary Award.

The film was greeted with rapturous standing ovations at its Toronto screenings.

Told through the eyes of young Jack, “Room” is an emotional story that celebrates resilience and the power of the human spirit to survive.

Variety magazine suggested that the distributors might have the “call-your-mom-sobbing-afterward movie of 2015 on its hands”. Producer of Room Ed Guiney described the win as “a major accolade”.

And the NETPAC award for the best Asian film receiving a world or global premiere in Toronto was given to The Whispering Star, a drama about a humanoid robot delivery woman from Japanese director Sion Sono.