The 44th annual Toronto International Film Festival has wrapped, and we’re here to wrap up the list of award-winners.
The IWC Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film went to Chloé Robichaud for Delphine. The jury remarked, “By presenting its main character’s unique point of view through another character’s perspective, Robichaud’s Delphine boldly utilizes an original narrative device to offer a refreshing twist on the coming-of-age genre. This evocative, mysterious, yet sensitive short film brings up powerful feelings of nostalgia and memory, leaving an impact that lingers with the viewer long after its all-too-short run time comes to a close.” The jury awarded an honourable mention to Theodore Ushev’s The Physics of Sorrow for its impressive filmmaking and detailed craftsmanship.
Next, the IWC Short Cuts Award for Best Short Film went to Lasse Linder for All Cats Are Grey in the Dark. The jury noted, “Blurring the line between narrative and documentary, Linder’s All Cats Are Grey in the Dark simultaneously observes its main character — and its topic — with both empathy and absurdity. This unexpectedly touching, exceptionally composed, and tender tale of a man’s love for his cats (along with the best-employed use of Alexa) surprised the jury with its observational filmmaking and memorable feline performances.” The jury gave an honourable mention to Federico Luis Tachella’s The Nap for its brave exploration of age and sexuality.
The City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film was given to Matthew Rankin’s The Twentieth Century. The jury stated, “Rankin’s debut feature is superb in its imaginative wildness, taking an otherwise staid historical Canadian figure and propelling him into the heart of one of the most creative, visual, and compelling experiences of the Festival.”
The Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film was awarded to Sophie Deraspe’s Antigone. The jury said that “Antigone stands out on its own as an electrifying piece of cinema. Tackling with vigour contemporary realities of immigration in Canada through the framework of Greek tragedy, Deraspe created magnificent onscreen humanism. It is imperative to point out Nahéma Ricci’s performance, reminiscent of Renée Falconetti’s Jeanne d’Arc.” The jury gave an honourable mention to Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Kathleen Hepburn’s The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open.
Selected by a jury from the Network for the Promotion of Asian Pacific Cinema (NETPAC), the NETPAC Award went to Oualid Mouaness’ 1982. The jury remarked that this film was elected “for its adventurous, imaginative style and subtle, confident filmmaking, bravely juxtaposing and framing the universal innocence and charm of youth within harrowing historical context.”
This year marked the 42nd year that Toronto audiences were able to cast a ballot for their favourite Festival film for the Grolsch People’s Choice Award. This year, audiences chose Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit as the recipient. The first runner-up was Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story, and the second runner-up was Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite. The Grolsch People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award went to Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia’s The Platform. The first runner-up for this was Andrew Patterson’s The Vast of Night, and the second runner-up was Jeff Barnaby’s Blood Quantum. Finally, the Grolsch People’s Choice Documentary Award was given to The Cave, directed by Feras Fayyad. The first runner-up was Garin Hovannisian’s I Am Not Alone, and the second runner-up was Bryce Dallas Howard’s Dads.
We applaud the many wonderful films present at the Toronto International Film Festival for their outstanding performances, and look forward to seeing both their wider releases and next year’s offering, which will run from September 10th-September 20th, 2020. You can read CGMagazine’s full TIFF coverage in our recent featured articles, and we intend to keep covering the event in the years to come.
