Toronto Film Festival 2004: HOTEL RWANDA Wins Audience Award
Based on the true story of a hotel manager who saved hundreds of lives during Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, Terry George’s Hotel Rwanda has won the People’s Choice award at the 2004 Toronto Film Festival.
In the film, hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina (played by Don Cheadle) saves the lives of those hiding in his hotel by bribing military officers with cash, liquor, and other goods. While the world looked away, approximately 800,000 Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus were massacred during the spring and early summer of 1994.
Pete Travis‘ Omagh, the story of the relatives of victims of the bloodiest terrorist attack of Northern Ireland’s 30-year conflict, won the festival’s Discovery award, given out by attending journalists.
In My Father’s Den, a New Zealand film about a war journalist who returns to his isolated hometown, won the FIPRESCI prize given by a jury to an emerging filmmaker. The comedy It’s All Gone Pete Tong and the horror film White Skin won the Canadian film prizes.
With its Toronto win (and its now well-publicized Schindler’s List similarities), Hotel Rwanda has received a good push along the road to the Oscars. About half of Toronto’s People’s Choice winners have gone on to receive important Academy Award nominations (and wins), among them The Official Story, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Shine, Life Is Beautiful, American Beauty, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Toronto International Film Festival Site
Toronto Film Festival Awards: 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Film Awards: 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Subscribe / Syndicate
Leave a Comment
Tags: Don Cheadle, Film Awards, Film Festivals, Hotel Rwanda, In My Father's Den, Omagh, Paul Rusesabagina, Terry George, Toronto Film Festival
Comments
Leave a Reply
NOTE:
All comments are moderated and may take some time before they are posted. Different views and opinions are welcome, but courtesy is imperative. Rude/crass/bigoted comments and name-calling of any sort will be immediately deleted.
Also, please be aware that the Alternative Film Guide has no contact information for the talent mentioned in this blog and no information pertaining to or access to distributors'/producers' film prints.
