Best Director in Literature Department of Huayu

Chapter 129 The Best Gift

After the award was announced, the audience erupted in applause.

Matthew McConaughey excitedly hugged Lin Ruiyang, repeatedly saying, "Wedidit!" Jared Leto was already smiling and raising his hands, waving to the applauding audience around him.

The searchlight team cheered even more.

The spotlight was already focused on the film crew, and Lin Ruiyang straightened his suit and slowly walked onto the stage.

Receiving the trophy from Pierce Handling, the cool metallic touch traveled down my palm, adding a touch of realism to the moment.

Under the combined beams of the spotlight overhead and the flashes from the audience, Lin Ruiyang's face was magnified infinitely on the IMAX screen behind him.

Lin Ruiyang held the microphone with one hand, first glancing down at the trophy in his hand, then looking up at the densely packed audience below, before giving a slightly shy smile: "Thank you, Toronto. The most special thing about the People's Choice Awards is that it's not decided by judges, but by movie tickets and ordinary audience members who walk out of the theater."

"So to me, it means that someone is willing to spend two hours sitting down to listen to the whole story and then leave with their vote for it."

This is the best gift I've ever received as a director!

At this point, he looked at the cast and crew members who had come up on stage with him.

"Similarly, I would also like to thank all the actors, thank Matthew, thank Jared... thank every staff member."

Without them, this film would just be words on a script, and it wouldn't be what we see today.

"Finally, thank you to everyone who believed in this film. I hope that no matter where we are, we will never stop understanding another person because of fear or prejudice. Thank you!"

After saying just a few words, Lin Ruiyang bowed slightly and raised the trophy amidst continuous applause.

As soon as Lin Ruiyang entered the backstage corridor, he was once again overwhelmed by the glaring incandescent lights and the relentless sound of camera shutters. The Toronto International Film Festival's official Winners' Room was already packed with media reporters wearing press badges.

"Ryan, look this way!"

"Raise the trophy higher!"

"Wonderful! Keep smiling!"

The flashes of light were incessant, making it almost impossible to open one's eyes.

Lin Ruiyang held the trophy, flanked by Jared and Matthew. As soon as the three of them posed, the photographers on site pressed the shutter dozens of times.

After the photo shoot ended, the staff member hosting the interview signaled to the media that they could begin asking questions.

"Ryan, congratulations on winning the hidden grand prize in tonight's blind box." A senior reporter from Variety was the first to stand up.

"Last year's *Brokeback Mountain*, the year before *Crash*... both gained their crucial advantage here, making their way to the Kodak Theatre. As the youngest dark horse of this awards season, do you think *Dallas Buyers Club*'s victory on this stage means it has already secured its ticket to the Oscars?"

The reporters below the stage stared intently at the young Chinese man sitting on the platform.

Lin Ruiyang just smiled slightly upon hearing this, without immediately continuing the conversation: "I prefer to see tonight as a comma in a phase, rather than a period at the end."

The People's Choice Awards show that the audience likes it, and that's enough to make me happy. As for the Oscars, that's a few months away, and no one can get a ticket before the results are announced.

The only thing we can control is making a good film, and then leaving the rest to the audience and time.

Soon, another reporter handed the microphone to Matthew McConaughey.

"Matthew, you lost a lot of weight for this role, and now the movie is a huge success. Looking back, do you think the most painful part was the dieting, or facing the skeptical looks of others every day?"

Matthew touched his still slightly thin face and pretended to think: "The most painful thing is not being able to eat pizza when you smell it."

He spread his hands and added, "Of course, there's also looking in the mirror every morning and wondering if I've forgotten to eat. But now it all seems worth it."

No sooner had he finished speaking than another reporter pressed, "So, what's the first thing you plan to do after tonight's evening?"

Matthew turned to Lin Ruiyang and answered without hesitation, "Find Lin, and then have him treat us."

Lin Ruiyang said helplessly, "Searchlight is probably richer than me."

Peter, who was sitting next to him, immediately raised his hands in surrender: "Don't look at me, I'm just in charge of distribution, not reimbursing your midnight snacks."

Another burst of laughter erupted in the photography studio.

Immediately afterwards, a music magazine reporter turned his attention to Jared Leto.

"Jared, many viewers in Toronto only then realized that you're not just a rock singer, but also a very talented actor. Will you be focusing more on films in the future?"

Jared shrugged. "Why do we have to choose one or the other?"

"Music taught me rhythm, and film taught me silence. They are essentially the same form of expression, one using sound and the other using images. However, if Lin tries to make me this thin again, I might seriously consider refusing."

Lin Ruiyang immediately chimed in: "The reporters in the audience have already recorded this statement, and it can be used as evidence later."

according to."

Another burst of laughter and the sound of camera shutters.

At this moment, a female reporter from a local Canadian media outlet stood up and posed the question to the entire film crew.

"If you could only use one word to describe the collaboration process, what would you choose?"

Matthew answered first: "Trust."

Jared thought for a moment: "Freedom."

When it was Lin Ruiyang's turn, he chose: "Listening".

"Directors need to listen to actors, actors need to listen to their characters, and the entire crew needs to listen to what the story is really trying to express. If everyone is just focused on giving their own opinions, then it will be difficult for the film to stand on its own."

Many reporters at the scene nodded and quickly took notes.

As the time was almost up, the staff took the opportunity to conclude the media interview session.

Although the reporters in the audience were somewhat reluctant to leave, they knew that the following time would belong to the public relations battle between the major production companies and distributors.

As the reporters began packing up their equipment, distributors, agents, and public relations consultants who had been waiting for a long time filed in, exchanging business cards, but their eyes were all subtly fixed on the cast and crew of "Dallas Buyers Club".

Peter Rice whispered to Lin Ruiyang, "The film festival is only over now; the real awards season is just beginning."

Lin Ruiyang followed his gaze and saw that some people were already walking towards them with champagne in the distance, while others nodded in greeting from across the crowd, as if giving advance notice.

The People's Choice Awards bring not only applause, but also a constant stream of invitations and opportunities.

Matthew, holding a glass of sparkling water, tapped the trophy in Lin Ruiyang's hand and laughed, "Buddy, you'd better hold on tight tonight. I suspect someone might try to steal it."

"Then you'll have to keep an eye on things for me," Lin Ruiyang replied with a smile.