Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire alumni Freida Pinto and director Danny Boyle are returning to the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival – but in different films this time

While they’ll be in Toronto to support different films this year during TIFF, Slumdog Millionaire actress Freida Pinto and her former director Danny Boyle are expected to reunite at sometime during the 2010 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival.

It was just two years earlier that their film, Slumdog Millionaire took the festival (and by extension, the world) by storm. When SlumDog captured the Cadillac People’s Choice Audience Award it would be just the first in many accolades to come for the film, culminating in the highest honor of them all – the Academy Award for Best Picture.

It’s been quite the whirlwind couple of years since Slumdog Millionaire introduced Freida Pinto to audiences outside her native India. Freida comes to the 2010 Toronto Film Festival in support of not one, but two films this year.


And those films are helmed by powerhouse directors. Pinto will first join director Julian Schnabel on the red carpet for the TIFF premiere of Miral. A few days later, we’ll see Freida join the iconic writer and director Woody Allen when You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger makes a TIFF debut.

Also happening during TIFF, Pinto’s Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle will premiere his follow-up directorial effort, 127 Hours. We just need now Freida’s Slumdog co-star, and real life boyfriend, Dev Patel to come to TIFF’10 for a true cast reunion.

Why PRECIOUS: Based on the Novel Push by SAPPHIRE is an important film to see – press conference for Cadillac People’s Choice Award winner in Toronto

IVAN and JASON REITMAN had a very busy TIFF 2009 with Up In The Air, Jennifer’s Body, and Chloe all having Toronto premieres

(festivalinsider.ca) There could not have been a more active father-son duo in the filmmaking business then what Ivan and Jason Reitman put on display during the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. Put simply, the Reitmans owned TIFF’09. Jason Reitman was in Toronto as producer on Jennifer’s Body and director on the already highly acclaimed UP IN THE AIR. After the recent film festival reviews for Up In The Air, many think the George Clooney starring vehicle will be well represented come awards time. During the press conference, Jason was sure to point out a key producer on the film, his father, Ivan Reitman proudly sitting in the first row with the assembled media. It wasn’t the only business at TIFF for Ivan – he was also there to support another Gala premiering film he produced – the Atom Egoyan directed CHLOE. From press, to red carpet premieres and receptions, there was no shortage of Reitman sightings during the 2009 TIFF week.

Sean Byrne’s THE LOVED ONES wins 2009 Cadillac People’s Choice Award – Midnight Madness at Toronto International Film Festival

TIFF midnight madness programmer Colin Geddes accepted the Cadillac People’s Choice Award from Frank Trivieri of GM Canada for best Midnight Madness feature on behalf of director Sean Byrne’s The Loved Ones at an awards reception hosted by Toronto’s Intercontinental Hotel.

“This is a candy-coloured popcorn film that invites the audience into a fun, pop-horror world that seems familiar. People will be in their seats, kind of comfortable, feeling like they’ve been here before and then we’ll sneak up and drop acid into their soda.” – SEAN BYRNE

It’s Leanne Pooley’s TOPP TWINS over Michael Moore’s CAPITALISM for Cadillac People’s Choice Documentary Award at 2009 TIFF

In a little bit of an upset, director Leanne Pooley’s TOPP TWINS has won the Cadillac People’s Choice Award for documentary at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. Michael Moore’s CAPITALISM was the runner-up.

“I have been making documentaries for twenty years, and usually they are dark. That is often the world a documentary filmmaker moves in, a dark world. This is a film about joy, and laughter, and love. And its just so special to be able to bring a film like that to audiences like yours. I have to thank the TOPP TWINS. who are a force of nature. Thank you so much.” – Leanne Pooley, director TOPP TWINS

Tom Ford’s A SINGLE MAN comes to TIFF on Colin Firth’s BEST ACTOR Venice honors – Weinstein Co. acquire distribution

Actors Julianne Moore and Colin Firth joined TOM FORD at the very well-dressed and attended A Single Man after-party held at the Gardiner Museum. Fashion designer turned director-writer FORD proved during the 2009 Toronto Festival he will be a force in the film business. Riding an impressive wave of positive buzz from the Venice Film Festival where Colin Firth’s performance from Ford’s film won BEST ACTOR honors. A SINGLE MAN came out of the Toronto Festival with TIFF’s largest deal as the Weinstein Co. paid a few million dollars to secure U.S. distribution rights for Ford’s directorial debut.

STATEMENT from director LEE DANIELS on winning the CADILLAC PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD for PRECIOUS at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival

“I like to dedicate this award to Cameron Bailey. Cameron your support of me and belief in my work from the beginning of the The Woodsman, Shadowboxer and now Precious is unparalleled. For that, I give you my fullest gratitude. I wish I could be there myself to accept the award on behalf of the film but I just landed in San Sebastian, Spain and I’m on the way for the films premiere here in a few hours. I can’t begin to express my gratitude. The audience award holds such an important meaning. I made this film for every person out there who ever looked in the mirror and felt unsure about the person looking back. This is not an art film for a select few. This is a movie that everybody can relate to. This film is for all precious girls and for everyone who has a little precious on the inside. Thank you so much, I am so honoured with this award there is nothing more special then being honoured by the public, by my peers. Again, I send heartfelt thanks to Maple Pictures and Lionsgate and somebody I forgot to thank at our premiere – a friend, an ally, a mentor, our co-executive producer Simone Sheffield. Thank you everyone.” – LEE DANIELS

Cadillac People’s Choice Award celebrates the best in film from TIFF – now expanded in 2009 for Documentary and Midnight Madness categories

The 34th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival brings about important change to the Cadillac People’s Choice Award. In addition to the main feature award (Slumdog Millionaire won last year) for 2009, there will be new Cadillac People’s Choice Awards presented in separate documentary and Midnight Madness categories. The awards are chosen by audiences through a voting process that takes place at screenings throughout the Festival.

TIFF’s Real to Reel program that showcases the documentaries has some especially thought provoking films this year. Early favorites might be Chris Smith’s COLLAPSE. A candid look at the media empire of Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi in VIDEOCRACY has been stirring buzz. We also hear great things about WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY, an insiders look at the Disney animation empire that recently wowed Telluride Film Festival audiences.

A Cadillac People’s Choice Award will also be presented to favorite Midnight Madness feature. An early favorite in this category could be the already much talked about JENNIFER’S BODY, featuring a demonically possessed Megan Fox and written by Oscar winning Juno scribe, Diablo Cody. But vampires from another Midnight Madness feature, DAYBREAKERS, led by Ethan Hawke could give JB a run. And of course, there are still eight other films in the Midnight Madness program for consideration.

One thing for sure, competition for the Cadillac People’s Choice Awards will be tight. We’ll just have to wait and see what the TIFF audiences decide when the awards are presented on September 19th.