By Rohan Rai
Toronto
The Toronto International Film Festival revealed this year’s award winners during a live press conference at TIFF Lightbox. Among the top honours announced were the People’s Choice Awards, presented by Rogers, voted on by TIFF’s public audience; the Platform Prize, the Festival’s only juried programme; two Canadian feature film awards, Short Cuts, FIPRESCI, and NETPAC awards. In total, 12 awards were handed out, celebrating standout films and breakout talent.
In a historic first this year, winning TIFF’s Platform Prize granted a non-English-language film direct eligibility for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards, alongside top winners from five other qualifying festivals.
Launched in 1978, the TIFF People’s Choice Award, presented by Rogers, celebrated the Festival’s top title as chosen by Toronto’s famously passionate and discerning public audience. The honour now spans four categories: overall, International, Documentary, and Midnight Madness.
People’s Choice Award presented by Rogers:
La Bola Negra, dirs. Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi
First runner-up: I Play Rocky, dir. Peter Farrelly
Second runner-up: Being Heumann, dir. Siân Heder
International People’s Choice Award presented by Rogers:
Elsinore, dir. Simon Stone
First runner-up: Possible Love, dir. Lee Chang-dong
Second runner-up: The Assassin(s), dir. Hur Jin-ho
People’s Choice Documentary Award presented by Rogers:
Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been, dir. Barry Avrich
First runner-up: Black Sunflowers, dir. James Marcus Haney
Second runner-up: The Ultra Runner, dir. Mila Aung-Thwin
People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award presented by Rogers:
Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney, dir. Matthew Rankin
First runner-up: The Spiral, dir. Paolo Strippoli
Second runner-up: Arrested Memory, dir. SABU
Platform Prize:
Angh
dir. Theja Rio | India
Special Jury Award:
Brace Your Heart (Garrat Du Váimmu)
dir. Amanda Kernell | Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Bulgaria
Short Cuts Award for Best International Short Film:
MAMMALIA, dir. Elia Kalogianni | Greece, Netherlands
Honourable Mention:
The Spectacular Death of Prisca, dir. Kaelo Iyizoba | Nigeria
Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film:
Fight Kid, dir. Michael Del Monte | Canada
Honourable Mention:
Almost Pink, dir. Justine Prince | Canada
Short Cuts Award for Best Animated Short Film:
Into The Betaverse, dirs. Varun Raman, Tom Hancock | United Kingdom
Honourable Mention:
Terminal, dir. Alexandre Siqueira | Portugal, Spain, France
FIPRESCI Prize:
Ancestors, dir. David Turpin | Ireland, United Kingdom
NETPAC Award:
Thirteen in Gaza, dir. Hosam Abu Dan | Palestine
Best Canadian Discovery Award:
Smudge the Blades, dir. Cody Lightning | Canada
Honourable Mention:
The Black Box is Orange, dir. Yuula Benivolski | Canada
Best Canadian Feature Film Award:
Sunburn, dir. Serville Poblete | Canada
Honourable Mention:
Man in Motion: The Rick Hansen Story, dir. Adrian Buitenhuis | Canada
Next year, the 52nd edition of the Festival will take place from September 9–19, 2027.