Birth of a Nation gets standing ovation in Toronto

Actor and director Nate Parker received an enthusiastic welcome as his film The Birth of a Nation screened at the Toronto International Film Festival.

After a public showing on Friday of the film - based on a slave uprising led by preacher Nat Turner in 1831 - Parker described it as "a labour of love".

There were gasps in the audience at some of the harrowing scenes.

After the screening, Parker, who has faced media scrutiny over a historic rape trial, got a standing ovation.

Parker acted in, wrote and directed the film. It gained a huge amount of awards buzz when it first screened at the Sundance film festival in January.

However, recent media attention has been focused on Parker's acquittal for rape in 1999 and his accuser's subsequent suicide.