After 11 days of cinematic magic, moments, and memories, TIFF officially concludes the 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, by celebrating the best of the fest with its annual awards slate. A total of 10 awards were handed out at the awards ceremony today, including jury-awarded prizes and the renowned People’s Choice Awards, also presented by Rogers, that signals the official start to awards season.
| PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD PRESENTED BY ROGERS |
| The 47th edition of TIFF’s People’s Choice Awards, presented by Rogers, has been distinguished as the audience’s top title at the Festival as voted by the viewing public. All feature films and series in TIFF’s Official Selection are eligible. People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award presented by Rogers is: The Substance, dir. Coralie Fargeat | United Kingdom/USA/France The first runner-up is: Dead Talents Society, dir. John Hsu | Taiwan The second runner-up is: Friendship, dir. Andrew DeYoung | USA People’s Choice Documentary Award presented by Rogers is: The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal, dir. Mike Downie | Canada The first runner-up is: Will & Harper, dir. Josh Greenbaum | USA The second runner-up is: Your Tomorrow, dir. Ali Weinstein | Canada People’s Choice Award presented by Rogers is: The Life of Chuck, dir. Mike Flanagan | USA The first runner-up is: Emilia Pérez, dir. Jacques Audiard | France/USA/Mexico The second runner-up is: Anora, dir. Sean Baker | USA |
| SHORT CUTS AWARDS |
| Short Cuts Awards are for Best International Film and Best Canadian Film. Each of the two winning films will receive a bursary of $10,000 CAD. The 2024 jurors for the Short Cuts Awards were Luis De Filippis, Micah Kernan, and Shane Smith. Short Cuts Award for Best International Film: Deck 5B, dir. Malin Ingrid Johansson | Sweden Honourable Mention: Quota, dir. Job Roggeveen, Joris Oprins, Marieke Blaauw | Netherlands Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Film: Are You Scared To Be Yourself Because You Think That You Might Fail?, dir. Bec Pecaut | Canada |
| FIPRESCI AWARD |
| The FIPRESCI jury is awarding the Prize of International Critics, dedicated to emerging filmmakers, to a debut feature film having its World Premiere in TIFF’s Discovery programme. The 2024 FIPRESCI jury members are Li Cheuk-to, Pierre-Simon Gutman, Azadeh Jafari, Saffron Maeve, and Wilfred Okiche. FIPRESCI Award: Mother Mother, dir. K’naan Warsame | Somalia |
| NETPAC AWARD |
| Presented by the Network for the Promotion of Asian Pacific Cinema, the NETPAC Award recognizes films specifically from the Asian and Pacific regions. The jury consists of three international community members selected by TIFF and NETPAC, who award the prize to the best Asian film by a first or second-time feature director. The 2024 NETPAC jury members are Hannah Fisher, Dr. Vilsoni Hereniko, and Kerri Sakamoto. NETPAC Award: The Last of the Sea Women, dir. Sue Kim | USA |
| BEST CANADIAN DISCOVERY AWARD |
| Back this year after being on hiatus since 2019, and with a new name and new criteria, the Best Canadian Discovery Award celebrates works of emerging filmmakers who contribute to enriching the Canadian film landscape. All first or second feature films in Official Selection by Canadian filmmakers are eligible for this award. The winner will receive a cash prize of $10,000. This year’s jury members were Estrella Araiza, Chelsea McMullan, and Randall Okita. Best Canadian Discovery Award: Universal Language, dir. Matthew Rankin | Canada Honourable Mention: You Are Not Alone, dirs. Marie-Hélène Viens, Philippe Lupien | Canada |
| BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM AWARD PRESENTED BY CANADA GOOSE |
| Canada Goose has always played a supporting role in the magic of filmmaking. TIFF continues to celebrate the unique craft and storytelling within Canadian cinema with the Best Canadian Feature Film Award. All Canadian feature films in Official Selection — excluding first or second features — will be considered for the award. The winning filmmaker will receive a $10,000 cash prize. The 2024 Best Canadian Feature Film Award is presented by Canada Goose. Best Canadian Feature Film Award: Shepherds, dir. Sophie Deraspe | Canada |
| PLATFORM COMPETITION AWARD |
| The Platform Award is an award of $20,000 CAD given to the best film in the competition selected by an in-person international jury. This year’s jury members were Atom Egoyan, Hur Jin-ho, and Jane Schoenbrun. Platform Award: They Will Be Dust, dir. Carlos Marques-Marcet | Spain, Italy, Switzerland Honourable Mention: Sylvia Chang in Daughter’s Daughter, dir. Huang Xi | Taiwan |
Last Sunday, the following were honoured with TIFF 2024 Tribute Awards, with Sandra Oh as Honorary Chair of the sixth annual fundraising gala:
- Amy Adams: TIFF Tribute Performer Award
- Angelina Jolie: TIFF Tribute Award in Impact Media
- Cate Blanchett: TIFF Share Her Journey Groundbreaker Award
- Clément Ducol & Camille: TIFF Variety Artisan Award
- David Cronenberg: TIFF Norman Jewison Career Achievement
- Durga Chew-Bose: TIFF Emerging Talent Award
- Jharrel Jerome: TIFF Tribute Performer Award
- Mike Leigh: TIFF Ebert Director Award
- Zhao Tao: TIFF Special Tribute Award