"12 Years a Slave" wins Toronto Film Fest's Audience Award

TORONTO "12 Years a Slave," director Steve McQueen's story of a free black man kidnapped and sold into slavery in 19th century America, has won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The film, based on the autobiography of Solomon Northup, stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong'o, Sarah Paulson, Brad Pitt and Alfre Woodard.

McQueen's previous films include "Hunger" and "Shame." "12 Years a Slave" will be released in the U.S. by Fox Searchlight on October 18.

Previous winners of the festival's People's Choice Award include "Silver Linings Playbook," "The King's Speech," "Precious" and "Slumdog Millionaire."

The winners of this year's festival awards were announced Sunday.

"All the Wrong Reasons," which stars the late actor Cory Monteith ("Glee") in one of his last performances, received the Grolsch Film Works Discovery Award. The film tells four intersecting stories involving the employees of a big-box retailer.

Director Jehane Noujaim ("Control Room") won the audience's documentary award for "The Square," about the popular uprising in Cairo's Tahrir Square.

2013 Toronto International Film Festival Awards:

Blackberry People's Choice Award: "12 Years a Slave," directed by Steve McQueen.

Blackberry People's Choice Documentary Award: "The Square,"

Runners-up: "Hi-Ho Mistahey!" from Alanis Obomsawin, about Canada's

Aboriginal youth; and "Beyond the Edge," Leanne Pooley's recreation of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay's conquest of Mt. Everest in 1953.

Blackberry People's Choice Midnight Madness Award: "Why Don't You Play in Hell?" a genre blend about filmmakers, yakuza, and decapitations, directed by Sion Sono.

Netpac Award for World or International Asian Film Premiere: "Gissa."

International Critics' Prize (Fipresci) for Special Presentations: "Ida," director Pawel Pawlikowski's tale of a young nun in 1960s Poland.

International Critics' Prize (Fipresci) Discovery Award: "The Amazing Catfish," Claudia Sainte-Luce's comic-drama of a Mexican family and their recruited caregiver.

Grolsch Film Works Discovery Award: "All the Wrong Reasons," directed by Gia Milan.

City of Toronto + Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film: "When Jews Were Funny," by documentary filmmaker Alan Zweig.

Best Canadian First Feature: "Asphalt Watches," a "loopy" animated feature by Seth Scriver and Shayne Ehman about a cross-country trip.

YouTube Award for Best Canadian Short: "Noah," which takes place entirely on a teenager's computer screen.