Ten honorees, one night

The eighth TIFF Tribute Awards filled the Fairmont Royal York on a Sunday, handing prizes to 10 industry names including Seth Rogen, Isabelle Huppert and Helen Mirren.

A launchpad, not a victory lap

The ceremony doubles as a festival fundraiser and one of the first stops on the awards season trail. For Penelope Cruz and Lee Chang-dong, it may be the first speech of many.

Rogen saw it coming

Accepting the Norman Jewison Career Achievement Award, Seth Rogen said the honor was not exactly a surprise, and he had the room laughing before he finished the sentence.

“As soon as I heard there was an award with the word Jew in the title, I knew it was gonna come my way one day.”

How he found indie film

Rogen credited a Canadian TV program, The Drambuie Showcase Revue, for his introduction to independent cinema, then admitted his teenage motive for watching had nothing to do with cinema.

Lee let the lie ride

The Possible Love director, fresh off Venice's Grand Jury Prize, confessed he once let Bela Tarr believe he was the younger filmmaker on a TIFF jury. He is a year older.

“I didn't bother to correct him. I just pretended to be the younger filmmaker.”

Cruz made them guess

Cruz thanked five directors, then teased the crowd about the one still missing. The answer was obvious, and she said it anyway: Pedro Almodovar.

“You are really present in all of my decisions and everything I do in my life.”

What women couldn't do

Mirren set the scene from her early teens. No house of your own, no credit card of your own, no birth control unless you could prove a wedding was coming.

“You couldn't buy a house on your own if you're a woman.”

Two farm girls changed it

Mirren dedicated her Groundbreaker award to Dolly Parton and Gloria Steinem, who moved the culture in opposite styles and got the room to its feet.

“It is so hard to change culture, but these two women did it in their very different ways.”