Move Over Pitt & Clooney, Where Do We Go Now? Takes Home Top Prize at Toronto Film Fest

Lebanese director nabbed the People's Choice Awards at the film fest Sunday, which is known to be an Oscar predictor.

By Brandi Fowler Sep 18, 2011 9:14 PMTags
Where Do We Go NowLes Films des Tournelles

Let the Oscar buzz begin.

Although celebs like George Clooney, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt brought their flicks to the Toronto Film Festival (The Ides of March and Moneyball), it was Lebanese director Nadine Labaki who took home the top audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival Sunday for her Middle Eastern drama, Where Do We Go Now?

The film, which stars Labaki and centers around a group of women trying to protect their community from violent Christian and Muslim men, won the Cadillac People's Choice Award, catapulting it to Oscar buzz-worthy status. 

That Oscar cachet is due to the fact that this particular award tends to be a predictor for Oscar gold. Where Do We Go Now? now joins the ranks of films like The King's Speech and Slumdog Millionaire, which both won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto fest before going on to take home Academy Awards.

But, Labaki's film wasn't the only big audience winner in Toronto. 

Jon Shenk's The Island President, which tells the story of the president of the Maldives' quest to save the island nation from rising waters due to global warming, took home the audience award for best documentary.