'The Gruffalo' Takes Audience Award in Toronto

TORONTO -- The Oscar-nominated animated short The Gruffalo, voiced by Helena Bonham Carter and Robbie Coltrane, on Sunday won the audience award at the Canadian Film Centre's Worldwide Short Film Festival in Toronto.

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The 30-minute film from directors Jakob Schuh and Max Lang came tops with fest-goers among 275 films from 36 countries that screened in and out of competition in Toronto.

Juried awards at the Toronto festival included the best Canadian short prize going to director Martin Thibaudeau for his family drama Cold Blood, while the best live action short trophy went to French director Rudi Rosenberg’s Aglaee.

And the best performance in a live-action short film was shared by Aline Kolditz and Lea Kolditz for their star-turns in Daniel Karl Krause’s Fathermotherchild, from Germany.

Elsewhere, the best cinematography in a Canadian short film went to Annick Blanc for Nowhere Elsewhere.

In all, 95 films vied for juried awards during the CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival’s May 31 to June 5 run this year.