TORONTO– “The Life of Chuck,” an unique dramatization from writer-director Mike Flanagan, has actually been called the People’s Choice Award victor at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.
The leading TIFF honor, which is elected on by target markets, was given out Sunday as the 11-day celebration rolled right into its last hours. Other rewards were presented on Matthew Rankin’s “Universal Language,” Sophie Deraspe’s “Shepherds” and a Tragically Hip docuseries.
Flanagan is best understood for his Netflix scary price, consisting of “The Haunting of Hill House” and “Midnight Mass.” His latest, which is adapted from a Stephen King story, strays from that genre with a quirky portrait of a divorced man, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, who can’t escape a looming presence that’s infiltrated every corner of his life.
In announcing the award, TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey read a thank-you note from Flanagan who said he was “absolutely overwhelmed” and never expected to win the prize, which is considered a bellwether for Oscar attention.
Last year’s People’s Choice winner “American Fiction” went on to nab five Academy Award nominations and won best adapted screenplay, while other past People’s Choice picks include best picture winners “Green Book,” “12 Years a Slave” and “The King’s Speech.”
Runners-up for this year’s People’s Choice award were Jacques Audiard’s Spanish-language musical crime thriller “Emilia Pérez” and Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or victor “Anora.”
Coralie Fargeat’s turned body-horror function “The Substance,” starring Demi Moore as a washed-up Hollywood star who goes to extremes to keep her youth, won the audience award for best Midnight Madness film.
The People’s Choice for best documentary went to “The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal,” a four-hour docuseries directed by Mike Downie about his late brother Gord’s influential Canadian rock band.
The Hip doc, which debuts Friday on Prime Video, helped launch TIFF a little more than a week ago when a congregation of the band’s fans gathered for a sing-along to “Bobcaygeon” and several of their other hits on the street near the TIFF Lightbox.
“It’s been a wonderful trip,” Downie said as he reflected on the experience while clutching his award.
“(The Hip was) precious in this nation … People counted on this band, and the band never ever did anything to endanger that depend on. So yes, the People’s Choice honor appears extremely proper.”
“The Life of Chuck” is in an unusual position for a TIFF People’s Choice honouree.
Unlike many past winners, its producers came to the festival still seeking a distributor, which means it has no release date and may not be out in time for awards season.
However, like many past winners, TIFF’s CEO said “The Life of Chuck” has certain qualities that give audiences ” huge really feels” that stick with them long after the film ends.
“With ‘The Life of Chuck,’ individuals assess their very own lives and the lives of individuals they’re close to,” Bailey said.
“When you appear of a film having that sort of psychological response, that’s what typically motivates a ballot.”
The Best Canadian Discovery Award, worth $10,000, went to Rankin’s second feature “Universal Language,” set in a Canada where Farsi and French are the two official languages and the two cultures co-exist in a dreamlike alternate universe.
“This is a film which we truly did by our heart,” said Ila Firouzabadi, co-writer of the film.
“The message is truly regarding uniformity and relationship. It’s something in between a Tehran, Winnipeg (and) Montreal crossway and I really hope from that crossway we are passing our empathy.”
The Best Canadian Feature Award, also worth $10,000, went to Sophie Deraspe’s “Shepherds,” about a young Montrealer frustrated with the emptiness of his marketing job who flees to the French Alps for a new life.
The juried FIPRESCI Award, from the International Federation of Film Critics, went to Somalia’s “Mother Mother,” guided by Somali-Canadian tape-recording musician K’naan Warsame.
The $20,000 Platform Award, chosen by an in-person global court, mosted likely to “They Will Be Dust,” a co-production in between Spain, Italy and Switzerland guided by Carlos Marques-Marcet
The filmmaker has actually been captured in a speedy experience over the previous week. He premiered his movie at TIFF on its opening weekend break and after that went back to Madrid, just to obtain a telephone call from TIFF coordinators advising him to make his back to Toronto for a huge news.
“I was so tired, but I was so excited — and I wanted to meet Atom Egoyan,” he claimed of the Canadian supervisor resting on the three-person court that with one voice chose his movie.
Marques-Marcet’s “They Will Be Dust” is motivated by an actual pair’s dream to start assisted fatality with each other. The movie is additionally component contemporary-dance musical.
He acknowledges those aspects could make it a challenging cost some target markets, yet he’s enthusiastic the TIFF acknowledgment will certainly offer his unique movie a possibility at higher direct exposure.
“Movies are not sports. It’s not about, ‘Who is the winner?'” he claimed.
“But obviously these things help a lot to try to push the barriers.”
This record by The Canadian Press was initial releasedSept 15, 2024.
David Friend, The Canadian Press
