Steve McQueen's '12 Years a Slave' wins audience award at Toronto film fest

Director Steve McQueen's movie '12 Years a Slave' has received the People Choice award at the Toronto Film Festival.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Chiwetel Ejiofor starrer film, which is based on a memoir of a free black man sold into slavery from 1853, has now become a hot favourite for the prestigious Academy Awards, Contactmusic reported.

The past recipients of the People's Choice award that have gone onto win an Oscar are 'The King's Speech', 2010, and 'Slumdog Millionaire', 2008.