Brooklyn, Ingrid Bergman In Her Own Words, and Room among films honoured at VIFF closing gala

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      The opening film at the Vancouver International Film Festival has been named winner of the Roger's People's Choice Award.

      Irish director John Crowley's Brooklyn told the tale of a young Irishwoman in New York in 1952.

      Straight critic Ken Eisner called it an "unbelievably beautiful film, buttressed by Nick Hornby's literate script and an unforgettable performance by Saoirse Ronan".

      It was one of several honours handed out at VIFF's closing gala on Friday (October 9) at the Centre for the Performing Arts in Vancouver.

      VIFF's most popular international documentary was Swedish director Stig Björkman's Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words

      The most popular Canadian feature at VIFF was Lenny Abrahamson's Room. It's about a boy and his mother who escape from captivity in a single room and adjust to the outside world.

      Based on Irish-Canadian novelist Emma Donoghue's book, Room also won the 2015 Grolsch People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.

      Charles Wilkinson's Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the World was named the most popular Canadian documentary.

      Watch the trailer for Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the World.

      The VIFF Impact: International Audience Award went to Landfill Harmonic, which was directed by Brad Allgood and Graham Townsley. It focused on children and youth in Paraguay who play musical instruments created from trash.

      A Vancouver-based charity called Instruments Beyond Borders has offered assistance to these young musicians.

      The VIFF Impact: Canadian Audience Award was given to Fractured Land, by Damien Gillis and Fiona Rayher, which zeroed in on the hazards of fracking for fossil fuels. It told this tale by focusing on Dene lawyer Caleb Behn.

      Fractured Land also won the festival's Best B.C. Film prize on October 3. 

      Fractured Land showcased bright First Nations activist Caleb Behn.

      Women in Film and Television Vancouver gave its Artistic Merit Award to Mina Shum, who directed Ninth Floor.

      It's a documentary about a 1969 student protest against racism at a Montreal college. 

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