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Last Updated: Monday, 20 September, 2004, 12:54 GMT 13:54 UK
Rwanda story takes Toronto prize
Don Cheadle stars as a selfless landlord in Hotel Rwanda
A film about a man who saved 1,000 people during the Rwandan genocide won the audience award at the Toronto Film Festival on Sunday.

Hotel Rwanda is based on the true story of hotel owner Paul Rusesabagina who hid potential victims.

Omagh, which deals with the relatives of the Irish bomb attack in 1998 which killed 29 people, won the critics' awards voted for by journalists.

The film, directed by Pete Travis, has already been shown on Channel 4.

The Toronto Film Festival, which ended on Sunday, has emerged as one of the most influential festivals in the world, where numerous multi-million dollar deals are done.

The jury prize, called the Fipresci, was won by New Zealand film In My Father's Den, about a war journalist who returns to his home after 16 years carrying a dark secret.

Rhyming slang

Hotel Rwanda was directed by Belfast-born director Terry George and features Ocean's 11 star Don Cheadle as a hotel owner who provided refuge for Tutsis fleeing killings by the Hutu militia in 1994.

Mr Rusesabagina used his influence as a prominent Hutu businessman to shelter potential victims, contacting dignitaries including Bill Clinton, the King of Belgium as well as the French foreign ministry.

George was a co-writer on the Oscar-nominated film In the Name of the Father, which focused on the wrongful conviction of the Guildford bombers.

The best Canadian feature film award went to the comedy It's All Gone Pete Tong, which features the BBC Radio 1 DJ whose name has become rhyming slang for "wrong".




SEE ALSO:
Martin Short film closes festival
19 Sep 04  |  Entertainment
Fur flies over cat-killing film
15 Sep 04  |  Entertainment
Spacey's Darin film hits Toronto
12 Sep 04  |  Entertainment
Bening tops Toronto festival bill
10 Sep 04  |  Entertainment


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