The Canadian film producer behind "Spotlight" is crediting Toronto with helping the ensemble drama nab the best picture Oscar.
Michael Bederman celebrated from afar Sunday as he watched the Oscars bash with friends and family in New York, where he's filming his next project.
The Toronto-raised producer says he was surprised by the win; many pundits had pegged a best picture prize for "The Revenant."
"Spotlight" stars Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams as journalists at the Boston Globe who uncovered rampant incidents of sex abuse within the Catholic Church.
The 41-year-old Bederman says he encouraged the shoot to take place in Toronto and Hamilton when budget constraints prevented it from locating entirely in Boston.
He says it turned out to be a great decision.
"Toronto seemed like a great substitute where I knew we'd have the same quality of crew and the same diverse options for locations that I felt we could match quite nicely with exteriors in Boston," he said Monday.
"(Writer/director) Tom McCarthy really embraced the Toronto crew, he's been very effusive throughout this long process, complimenting the Toronto team as well as the Boston team. It's really nice to see them recognized because it takes so many people to make a movie. And everybody on our crew up in Toronto was exceptional."
Bederman admits to being disappointed that he couldn't celebrate with the "Spotlight" team, including McCarthy and co-writer Josh Singer.
"But I love making movies more than I love celebrating movies I've already made," he says.
"I'm very grateful and appreciative that I'm able to make another film and that 'Spotlight' has achieved the ultimate success of a motion picture. It's the pinnacle of the award season."
Bederman is currently working on "Collateral Beauty" with Helen Mirren, Will Smith, Keira Knightley, Edward Norton and Kate Winslet.
He says he hopes to have it ready in late 2016, and maybe make it to the Oscars next year.
