Toronto: Bella, a romantic drama by Mexican director Alejandro Monteverde, was the surprise winner of the top award at the Toronto Film Festival on Saturday, while the contentious Death of a President took home a critics' prize.
A story of two people whose lives converge and turn upside down on a single day in New York, Bella received no buzz and little ink during the 10-day event, but still managed to win the festival's People's Choice Award, voted on by moviegoers.
The prize is often an indicator of future Academy Award nominations, with past recipients including best picture winners American Beauty and Chariots of Fire.
Last year's winner, Tsotsi, won an Oscar for best foreign-language film.
"I really hope that this is not a dream and that I don't wake up at film school," a visibly surprised Monteverde said at an awards ceremony.
"This festival is my first festival, it's my first film. It's my first everything," he said.
The US-produced film edged out Patrice Leconte's Mon meilleur ami and the politically charged Dixie Chicks: Shut up and Sing for the award.
Death of a President, which stirred controversy in the days ahead of the festival, took home the Fipresci prize, which is chosen by International critics.
The film, a fictional documentary showing the assassination of US President George W. Bush, was noted by the jury "for the audacity with which it distorts reality to reveal a larger truth."
The Diesel Discovery Award, voted on by the hundreds of journalists that attend the festival, went to the Norwegian production Reprise, directed by Joachim Trier.
Canadian film prizes went to Sur la trace D'Igor Rizzi, Manufactured Landscapes, and the short film Les Jours.
An award for cultural innovation went to Takva - A Man's Fear of God, a joint Turkish-German production.
The festival, considered the kickoff to Hollywood's Oscar season, featured both high-profile disappointments and surprising favorites as it screened 352 films over 10 days.
Early buzz surrounded films such as the Sean Penn political drama All the King's Men and the Ridley Scott-directed romantic comedy A Good Year, starring Russell Crowe.
The biggest deal of the festival was for the Jennifer Lopez-produced biopic El Cantante, whose North American distribution rights were acquired on Friday by arthouse distributor Picturehouse for just under $ 6 million.
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