Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet” has made headlines by capturing the prestigious People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), significantly enhancing its chances at the upcoming Oscars. This remarkable achievement marks Zhao as the first director to win this award twice, following her previous triumph in 2020 with “Nomadland”.
Since the Academy expanded the Best Picture category in 2009, the TIFF Audience Award winners have become reliable indicators for Oscar success. Notable films like “Green Book” (2018) and “Nomadland” (2020) have gone on to win the coveted top prize, while others, such as “The Fabelmans” (2022), have played significant roles during awards season. Remarkably, only one recipient, “Where Do We Go Now?” (2011), failed to secure a nomination for Best Picture, while every other winner has at least claimed one Oscar.
Last year’s winner, “The Life of Chuck,”, which Neon has postponed to 2025, faces a challenging road ahead this year to maintain the winning streak of the People’s Choice Award, especially considering its June release date. However, it may still receive recognition in the Adapted Screenplay category.
Established in 1978, the People's Choice Award has seen seven of its recipients go on to win the Best Picture Oscar, with five of these victories occurring in the last two decades. This year, Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” was honored as the first runner-up for the Canadian prize, followed by Rian Johnson’s “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” in third place.
The People’s Choice Award for Documentary was awarded to “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue”, a compelling film by Barry Avrich that examines the efforts of a former Israeli general to rescue his family amid the tragic events of the October 7 attacks. In the realm of international cinema, the People’s Choice International Award went to Park Chan-wook’s South Korean satirical thriller “No Other Choice,” with “Sentimental Value” from Norwegian director Joachim Trier taking the runner-up spot.
The 50th edition of the Toronto Film Festival stood out as one of the most star-studded in recent years, even though it may not have generated the high-profile sales typically associated with TIFF. Nonetheless, several films are anticipated to secure distribution deals, including Steven Soderbergh’s “The Christophers,” Mona Fastvold’s “The Testament of Ann Lee,” and Daniel Roher’s “Tuner,” which has received rave reviews from critics.
Here’s a concise overview of this year’s award winners at TIFF:
TIFF People’s Choice Award: “Hamnet” First runner-up: “Frankenstein” Second runner-up: “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” TIFF People’s Choice International Award: “No Other Choice” First runner-up: “Sentimental Value” Second runner-up: “Homebound” TIFF People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award: “Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie” First runner-up: “Obsession” Second runner-up: “The Furious” TIFF People’s Choice Documentary Award: “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue” First runner-up: “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” Second runner-up: “You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution…”As the film awards season approaches, all eyes will be on Chloé Zhao and her acclaimed film “Hamnet”, as it navigates the path toward Oscar nominations and recognition.
