The movie “La Bola Negra” has secured the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, solidifying its position as a strong contender for the Oscars. Directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, the film tells the intricate stories of three homosexual men in Spain. The announcement of the festival awards was made by TIFF on Sunday.
The prestigious award at TIFF is determined by attendees of the festival and is renowned for being a reliable predictor of Academy Award winners. The directors expressed their gratitude for the audience’s connection with the film, highlighting its personal significance and the importance of self-expression.
Following its success at the Cannes Film Festival, where it shared the best director award with Paweł Pawlikowski’s “Fatherland,” Netflix acquired “La Bola Negra” and has launched an extensive awards campaign for the film. Netflix is also planning its most extended theatrical release for the film, with a theater debut on October 16 and streaming availability starting on December 2.
Another notable winner at the festival is “Angh,” which received the Platform Award, accompanied by a $20,000 prize. Directed by Theja Rio, the film depicts the last chief of a Nagaland village on the Indo-Burma border. This year, the Platform Award offers a direct pathway to the best international feature film category at the Academy Awards.
Canadian filmmakers were also recognized at the event, with Cody Lightning winning the Best Canadian Discovery award for his second feature, “Smudge the Blades.” The Best Canadian Feature was awarded to “Sunburn” by Serville Poblete, a coming-of-age story set in Toronto’s Bleecker Street.
Other winners of the People’s Choice awards include “Elsinore” by Simon Stone for international People’s Choice, “Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney” for Midnight Madness, and Barry Avrich’s “Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been” for People’s Choice documentary. Avrich previously won the same prize last year for “The Road Between Us.”
Moreover, the FIPRESCI Prize was given to the debut international filmmaker David Turpin for “Ancestors,” while the NETPAC Award recognized the Palestinian film “Thirteen in Gaza” by Hosam Abu Dan, portraying the life of a 13-year-old girl in a Gaza Strip refugee camp.