'Where Do We Go' gets Toronto aud award

'Where Do We Go Now?' The weary-eyed, film-loving auds of the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival have voted Nadine Labaki's "Where Do We Go Now?" as the winner of the fest's People's Choice award-in recent years seen as a guarantee of awards-season glory. The top aud award, which was handed out at the fest's Sunday afternoon awards brunch, comes with a CAN$15,000 (US$15,342) cash prize. "Where Do We Go Now?", about women from different religions who band together to protect their small community from violence, is co-written Labaki ("Caramel"), who also costars, and was recently announced as Lebanon's official entry for foreign-language Oscar contention. Asghar Faradi's "A Separation" and Ken Scott's "Starbuck" were voted, respectively, first and second runners-up by Toronto auds.Midnight Madness opener "The Raid," Gareth Evans' Indonesian martial arts actioner, won top kudos from the popular late-night program's auds, who chose Adam Wingard's "You're Next" and Bobcat Goldthwait's "God Bless America" as their first and second runners-up. Jon Shenk's feature docu "The Island President," about Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed's battle for democracy, nabbed the People's Choice docu award. Bess Kargman's "First Position" was named first runner-up, with Cameron Crowe's "Pearl Jam Twenty" taking second runner-up position. Toronto fest favorite Philippe Falardeau ("Congorama") nabbed the jury-chosen Best Canadian Feature Film prize for "Monsieur Lazhar," about a middle-aged Algerian immigrant seeking political refuge in Quebec. The prize comes with a cash prize of $30,684.Nathan Morlando's "Edwin Boyd," starring Scott Speedman as a notorious real-life bank robber and dreamer, nabbed the jury-chosen best Canadian first feature film prize and a cash prize of $15,342. The Canadian first feature jury gave a special citation to Anne Emond's "Nuit #1." Toronto nuclear physics grad Ian Harnarine won the best Canadian short film and $10,228 cash for his 18-minute helming debut "Doubles with Slight Pepper," exec produced by Spike Lee. Honorable mentions were given to Canuck shorts "Of Events" and "No Words Came Down."The six-member FIPRESCI international critics' jury awarded its prize for the best pic in the fest's Special Presentations program to Gianni Amelio's "The First Man," based on an unfinished Algeria-set Albert Camus novel. Swedish helmer Axel Petersen's dark comedy "Avalon" won the FIPRESCI jury's award for best Discovery program title.On Friday, the Toronto film festival's sales and industry office reported a 20% growth in delegate attendance, with close to 4,000 registered buyers, sales agents, producers and filmmakers. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

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