People’s Choice Award announced at the Toronto International Film Festival

The Toronto International Film Festival wrapped up on Sunday with the announcement of 12 awards.

TIFF’s 50th edition saw over 700,000 guests, nearly 2,000 accredited media, 6,000 industry delegates, 1,200 screenings, and a stellar lineup of talent who graced 110 red carpets, festival organizers said.

This year’s People’s Choice Award went to Hamnet, from Chloé Zhao, director of TIFF ’20 People’s Choice Award winner Nomadland, also an Oscar winner.

Based on the novel by Maggie O’Farrell, Hamnet centres on Agnes, Shakespeare’s wife (also known as Anne Hathaway), played by Jessie Buckley. It tells the story of Agnes and William’s courtship and the death of their 11-year-old son, Hamnet.

First runner-up for People’s Choice was Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, and second runner-up was Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.

The International People’s Choice Award went to the South Korean satire on workplace politics No Other Choice from director Park Chan-wook.

First runner-up was the English and Norwegian film Sentimental Value from director Joachim Trier; and second runner-up was Indian film Homebound from director Neeraj Ghaywan.

The People’s Choice Documentary Award went to The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue, from director Barry Avrich.

First runner-up was EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert from director Baz Luhrmann, and second runner-up: You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution… from director Nick Davis.

The People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award went to Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie from director Matt Johnson.

The first runner-up was Obsession from director Curry Barker; and second runner-up went to The Furious from director Kenji Tanigaki.

Short Cuts Awards went to Talk Me, Agapito, The Girl Who Cried Pearls, A Soft Touch, and To the Woods.

The emerging filmmaker, FIPRESCI Prize went to Lucía Aleñar Iglesias’ Forastera.

The NETPAC Award, recognizing films specifically from the Asian and Pacific regions, went to In Search of The Sky (Vimukt) from director Jitank Singh Gurjar from India.

The Best Canadian Discovery Award went to Blue Heron from director Sophy Romvari.

“Blue Heron, written and directed by Sophy Romvari, is a film centred on a family struggling with a troubling personal crisis, where all elements — script, direction, cinematography, performance and editing — unite to powerfully transcend the sum of their parts,” the jury’s statement read. “Blue Heron is a stunning and assured feature debut about love, grief, memory, and the yearning to go back to the moment before everything changed.”

Honourable mention went to 100 Sunset from director Kunsang Kyirong.

“We as a jury were struck by the remarkable world-building in 100 Sunset, Kunsang Kyirong’s directorial debut,” the jury’s statement read. “She invites us into the apartment complex that is home to members of the Tibetan immigrant community in Toronto, where we experience the gossip, rivalries, and intrigues through the eyes of an observant young thief who rarely speaks but seems to register everything.”

The Best Canadian Feature Film Award went to Uiksaringitara (Wrong Husband) directed by  Zacharias Kunuk.

“Wrong Husband, directed by Zacharias Kunuk, is a love story from thousands of years ago that blends the epic and intimate and immerses viewers in a mesmerizing and unique cinematic experience,” the jury statement reads. “The supernatural is ever-present and matter of fact alongside exquisite details of the daily rhythms of ancient Inuit life.”

Honourable mention went to There Are No Words, directed by Min Sook Lee.

“An Honourable Mention goes to There Are No Words, written and directed by veteran documentarian Min Sook Lee,” the jury statement reads. “This film is a profound and devastating story of unspeakable loss; the shifting shape and mingling of individual and collective memory; the sometimes brutal immigrant experience; and how past violent personal and political realities can continue to define the identity of a family.”

The Platform Award, which champions bold directorial vision and distinctive storytelling on the world stage, went to To The Victory! from director  Valentyn Vasyanovych.

“To The Victory! is the unanimous choice for this year’s Platform Award amongst a very strong selection,” the jury statement reads. “Bringing cinematic language to its roots and, at the same time, masterfully playing with audience expectations, this film dismantles convention to reveal deeply resonant universal emotions.”

“Director Valentyn Vasyanovych has choreographed a mise-en-scène rendered with masterful precision, arriving at the kind of refined simplicity that can only be achieved with artistic maturity and bold vision. He has deftly used comedy to address a very complicated and complex situation into a work that is both audacious and profoundly beautiful. Ultimately, the film returns us to the very essence of cinema — reminding us why we are compelled to tell stories on film, and why we continue to do so.”

To The Victory!

Honourable mention went to Hen from director György Pálfi.

“The jury also wishes to recognize the extraordinary artistry of director György Pálfi, whose work exemplifies boldness, intelligence, and creative ingenuity,” the jury statement reads. “Blending cinematic genres in an inventive and seamless manner, Hen demonstrates remarkable precision in its camera movement and shot composition, resulting in an exceptionally effective narrative. György’s unwavering commitment to exploring humanity through the perspective of the hen yields a singularly original vision — a work of stunning originality, unlike anything else in contemporary cinema.”

Lead photo: Hamnet