Controversial film The Magdalene Sisters has picked up a critics' prize at the Toronto Film Festival.

The movie, about abuse in Irish Catholic Church-run asylums, was given the Toronto Discovery award for first or second-time directors voted for by about 750 journalists.

Directed by Scot Peter Mullan, it was attacked by the Catholic hierarchy after winning the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival for giving what the church says is a false picture of events.

A New Zealand film about a Maori child trying to find her place in her male-dominated tribe collected the People's Choice Award as the festival came to a close.

Cronenberg was delighted to win the best Canadian film award

Niki Caro's The Whale Rider beat more than 300 films shown over 10 days to win the prize, which has previously gone to American Beauty and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

This year's festival was changed to reflect the anniversary of the 11 September attacks.

Last year's event was brought to a temporary halt as the tragedies unfolded and this year screenings and press conferences were put on hold on the anniversary as a mark of respect.

National flavour

Although the Toronto Film Festival does not hold as much weight as Cannes or Venice there was a large contingent of Hollywood stars in attendance.

Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, Denzel Washington, Ralph Fiennes, Sophia Loren and Antonio Banderas were just some of the names in town to promote films.

The festival keeps a strong national flavour with a clutch of awards being handed out to Canadian films.

Director David Cronenberg won award for best film by a Canadian film for Spiders.

Many had expected Atom Egoyan's Ararat, which opened the festival, to take the prize, which comes with a cheque for C$25,000 (�10,239).

"It totally caught me by surprise. ... I've never won anything from the Toronto festival before," Cronenberg said.

"I've won awards in several other places like Cannes and so on, but it's a very special feeling when it's here. There's a real warmth."

24 star Kiefer Sutherland was in Toronto to promote his movie Phone Booth

Cronenberg, whose previous pictures include Naked Lunch and Crash, said he hoped the award would encourage people to go and see the film.

The Magdalene Sisters ran into controversy when it won the top prize at the 2002 Venice Film Festival.

British success

Set in the 1960s, the film tells the story of one of the Magdalene convents, which were run on behalf of the Catholic Church, and the abuse suffered by young girls during their stay.

Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano said the movie is an "angry and rancorous provocation", while Vatican Radio condemned it as "clearly false".

Distributor Miramax defended the film, saying it was designed to address the touchy issue of the treatment of young women in the era.

Mullan himself has said the church should face up to its past and the cruelty dished out by Irish nuns.

British success story Bend it Like Beckham from director Gurinder Chadha was a runner-up for the People's Choice Award, voted for by audiences.

Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine, an attack on US gun policy, was also in the running for the popular prize, but lost out to The Whale Rider.