Considered the world's preeminent publicly accessible film festival, TIFF has developed a reputation as an important testing ground for the subsequent fall movie season and a bellwether for major cinematic honours, from the Academy Awards and Golden Globes to the BAFTAs and European Film Awards. Toronto's audience chooses the festival's most prestigious prizes and, after taking a quick look back at past winners, it seems the people have developed a pretty good eye for film over the years.

From The King's Speech and Slumdog Millionaire to Chariots of Fire and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, CBC News examines recipients of TIFF's People's Choice Award and a smattering of their post-festival achievements.