The 2019 Toronto International Film Festival is coming to an end and with that the awards for this year’s edition have been announced.
Take a look below for the full list of winners and for more information, head over to tiff.net. Tiff wraps up its 44th edition tonight.
IWC SHORT CUTS AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN SHORT FILM
The IWC Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film goes 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 award offers a $10,000 cash prize, made possible by IWC Schaffhausen.
The jury awarded an honourable mention to Theodore Ushev’s The Physics of Sorrow for its impressive
filmmaking and detailed craftsmanship.
IWC SHORT CUTS AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM
The IWC Short Cuts Award for Best Short Film goes 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 award offers a $10,000 cash prize, made possible by IWC Schaffhausen.
The jury gave honourable mention to Federico Luis Tachella’s The Nap for its brave exploration of age and
sexuality.
CITY OF TORONTO AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FIRST FEATURE FILM
The City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film goes to Matthew Rankin’s The Twentieth
Century. The jury remarked, “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.”
CANADA GOOSE AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM
The Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film goes 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 honourable mention to Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Kathleen Hepburn’s The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open.
NETPAC AWARD
Selected by a jury from the Network for the Promotion of Asian Pacific Cinema (NETPAC), the NETPAC Award
goes to Oualid Mouaness’ 1982.
Jury members include Chairperson Beckie Stocchetti, Kanako Hayashi, and Albert Shin. The jury remarked that
this film was selected “for its adventurous, imaginative style and subtle, confident filmmaking, bravely
juxtaposing and framing the universal innocence and charm of youth within harrowing historical context.”
GROLSCH PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS
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’s award goes to Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit. The award
offers a $15,000 cash prize and a custom award, sponsored by Grolsch. The first runner-up is Noah
Baumbach’s Marriage Story. The second runner-up is Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite.
The Grolsch People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award goes to Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia’s The Platform. The first
runner-up is Andrew Patterson’s The Vast of Night. The second runner-up is Jeff Barnaby’s Blood Quantum.
The Grolsch People’s Choice Documentary Award goes to The Cave, directed by Feras Fayyad. The first
runner-up is Garin Hovannisian’s I Am Not Alone. The second runner-up is Bryce Dallas Howard’s Dads.
