"Green Book" Wins Toronto Film Festival Audience Award

Peter Farrelly's "Green Book", starring Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen, won the Toronto International Film Festival's audience award on Sunday, taking him to the top of the Oscars.

The film follows an Italian-American working-class bunker who occupies a chauffeur position of a classic African-American pianist in the southern United States in the 1960s, as it is too dangerous to travel alone.

"I'm still shocked by the response to the film (in Toronto), so it's amazing," Farrelly said in a statement.

"This victory exceeds my wildest dreams."

The film defeated Alfonso Cuaron "Roma" (second finalist) and Barry Jenkins "If Beale Street Could Talk" (first finalist) for the first prize of the festival.

Based on a true story, the film tells the story of Don Shirley (Ali), the well-dressed son of a Jamaican immigrant family who wears with the trust of a prince and speaks perfect English. but that is, according to an article from festival organizers, "not built for the brutal bigotry of his time."

So he hires Tony "Lip" Vallelonga (Mortensen) with the aim of accompanying him on his journey, guided by the Green Paper of Negro drivers towards safe hotels and restaurants in the isolated South.

The film follows an Italian-American working-class bunker who occupies a chauffeur position of a classic African-American pianist in the southern United States in the 1960s, as it is too dangerous to travel alone.