By Renu Mehta
Toronto
The 48th annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) that was held from September 7 -17, 2023 announced ‘American Fiction’ as the TIFF 2023 People’s Choice Award.
Directed by Cord Jefferson, this film is an adaptation of Percival Everett’s Erasure starring Jeffry Wright. A satire about marginalized voices and a portrait of an artist forced to re-examine his integrity.
Jefferson’s directorial debut is a wildly entertaining send-up of our hunger for so-called authenticity. Featuring stellar supporting turns from Issa Rae and Erika Alexander, and a string of cameos, American Fiction is a timely reflection on the fictions we keep telling ourselves about race, progress, and community.
The film, rightly so, was showcased as a free presentation for audiences on September 17.
List of Award Winners
TIFF 2023 People’s Choice Award: Cord Jefferson’s American Fiction
First Runner-up: Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers
Second Runner-up: Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron
TIFF 2023 People’s Choice Documentary Award: Robert McCallum’s Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe
First Runner-up: Jen Markowitz’s Summer Qamp
Second Runner-up: Lucy Walker’s Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa
TIFF 2023 People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award: Larry Charles’s Dicks: The Musical
First Runner-up: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s KILL
Second Runner-up: Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk’s Hell of a Summer
2023 Platform Award is presented to: director Tarsem Singh Dhandwarfor Dear Jassi.
2023 NETPAC Winner is: Jayant Digambar Somalkar’s A Match
2023 FIPRESCI is: Director Meredith Hama-Brown for Seagrass
Short Cuts Award for Best Film: Electra, dir. Daria Kashcheeva
Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Film: Motherland, dir. Jasmin Mozaffari
Share Her Journey Award: Shé (Snake), dir. Renee Zhan
Amplify Voices Award – Best BIPOC Canadian Feature: Kanaval, dir. Henri Pardo
Amplify Voices Award for Best BIPOC Canadian First Feature Award: Tautuktavuk (What We See), dirs. Carol Kunnuk, Lucy Tulugarjuk
2023 Amplify Voices Trailblazer Award was presented to Damon D’Oliveira, producer.
2023 Best Canadian Feature Film: Solo, dir. Sophie Dupuis
2023 Changemaker Award: We Grown Now, dir. Minhal Baig.
