Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet” captured the Toronto International Film Festival’s highly coveted people’s choice award, bolstering its Oscars chances.
The people’s choice category was created in 1978.
The film looks at a former Israeli general and his attempts to rescue his family during the October 7 attacks.
The International People’s Choice winner was Park Chan-wook’s South Korean satirical thriller “No Other Choice,” ahead of runner-up “Sentimental Value” from Norwegian director Joachim Trier.
The Toronto Film Festival’s 50th edition was one of its starriest in years.
The Oscar chances of Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet” were enhanced when it won the coveted people’s choice award at the Toronto International Film Festival. After winning the prize for “Nomadland” in 2020, Zhao is also the first director to win it twice. “”.
With the Academy’s 2009 expansion of the best picture field, TIFF Audience Award winners have established themselves as trustworthy Oscar predictors. The top prize was eventually won by films like “Green Book” (2018) and “Nomadland” (2020), while other films like “The Fabelmans” (2022) played a significant role in the awards season. “Where Do We Go Now?” (2011) was the only winner that did not receive a nomination for best picture.
All of the other winners have won at least one Oscar. Although it might appear in the adapted screenplay, last year’s winner, “The Life of Chuck,” which Neon postponed until 2025, will have a difficult time continuing that run this year given its June release date.
In 1978, the People’s Choice category was established. Five of the seven Oscar winners for best picture came within the last 20 years.
Rian Johnson’s “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” came in third place, while Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” was the first runner-up for the Canadian prize. Barry Avrich’s “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue” won the audience prize for the documentary. The movie follows a former Israeli general as he tries to save his family during the October 7 attacks.
The South Korean satirical thriller “No Other Choice,” directed by Park Chan-wook, won the International People’s Choice award. It was preferred over the Norwegian film “Sentimental Value,” which came in second.
The 50th edition of the Toronto Film Festival was one of the most prestigious in recent memory. Furthermore, despite the lack of the spectacular sales for which TIFF was renowned, a number of films, such as Daniel Roher’s critically acclaimed “Tuner,” Mona Fastvold’s “The Testament of Ann Lee,” and Steven Soderbergh’s “The Christophers,” could still find distribution.
The winners are listed in full below.
The TIFF People’s Choice Award went to “Hamnet.”.
Frankenstein was the first runner-up.
“A Knives Out Mystery: Wake Up Dead Man” came in second.
“No Other Choice” is the TIFF People’s Choice International Award.
“Sentimental Value” was the top runner-up.
The second-place finish was “Homebound.”.
The “Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie” TIFF People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award winner.
Runner-up number one: “Obsession.”.
Second place went to “The Furious.”.
The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue won the TIFF People’s Choice Documentary Award.
Elvis Presley in Concert (EPiC) was the first runner-up.
“You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution” came in second.
