While the stars promote their movies at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, Oscar-winner Matt Damon is promoting global humanitarian efforts.
On Saturday, Damon screened "Running the Sahara," presented by CTV and Diesel, in support of H2O Africa.
Damon produced and narrated the documentary which chronicles the historic 111-day trek of three runners -- Canadian Ray Zahab, U.S. runner Charlie Engle and Taiwanese athlete Kevin Lin.
The three men were the first runners in modern history to cross the Sahara desert. Their goal was to raise awareness for H2O Africa, a non-profit organization designed to bring clean water to African countries in need.
"I went running with Charlie once and I was telling him about long runs and how my body started to break down," Damon told CTV News on Saturday.
Engle had little sympathy for Damon, telling him, "You have to reevaluate your relationship to pain."
Damon commended CTV and other partners who helped to bring the documentary to the festival.
"For us, you're making it all happen. We can't thank you enough," Damon said.
The Oscar-winner was joined on the red carpet by his long-time friend Ben Affleck, who had nothing but praise for the runners.
"It was just amazing to me. I'm literally a guy who can't run five miles I don't think. The scale between me and these men is so dramatic," Affleck told CTV News.
On Sunday, Damon will host the annual One-X-One benefit gala held at the Four Season's Centre for the Performing Arts.
The gala will honour the Sahara running team along with Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine, Golden Globe winner Richard Gere, Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson and supermodel and philanthropist Petra Nemcova.
One-X-One is a nonprofit foundation committed to preserving and improving the lives of children in Canada and around the world.
Last year's gala, also hosted by Damon in Toronto, was hailed as a success after it filtered more than $1.3 million to Canadian charities.
For the second year, CTV is the exclusive media partner for the One-X-One gala event.
With a report from CTV's MairiAnna Bachynsky
