Montreal-based animator Torill Kove has joined the elite group of Oscar-winners after scooping the famed gold statuette for her short film The Danish Poet. The twice-nominated talent revealed she will keep the coveted gong right next to her Genie award, which she also won recently for the short film.
"I think they should be together, and they're going to be on prominent display," the delighted film-maker said. Later, Torill and her husband got to celebrate in Hollywood style at the Governor's Ball and the Vanity Fair Oscar party - one of the hottest tickets in town.
Meanwhile, Half Nelson star Ryan Gosling, who lost out in the best actor category to Forest Whitaker, made it a night to remember with the help of his family - arriving arm-in-arm with his excited mother Donna and sister Mandi. "My mom and sister are acting like they won the lottery," he said just days before Tinseltown's biggest night of the year. "They're going crazy."
They weren't the only ones thrilled at the prospect of mingling with the A-list. One of the night's big winners, Jennifer Hudson, clearly still gets star-struck despite becoming one of the most-talked about names in showbiz. "Wait a minute, Celine Dion is going to be here singing, and I get to be in the room?" exclaimed the best supporting actress.
She, along with millions of viewers, was treated to Celine's debut performance of her new song I Knew I Loved You in a tribute to Italian composer Ennio Morricone, who was there to receive an honorary Oscar.
Canadian Oscar hopefuls who didn't take home a gong on Sunday but were happy to be nominated included Toronto-based director Deepa Mehta and best original screenplay contender Paul Haggis, who won consecutive Oscars in 2005 and 2006 for Million Dollar Baby and Crash.
Photo: Canadian Press
Photo: Getty Images
