“The Fabelmans” by director Steven Spielberg won the audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Sunday.
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The film, starring Paul Dano and Michelle Williams as Sammy’s parents, tells the story of a boy who dreams of a movie. In “The Fabelmans”, which is partly autobiographical, Steven Spielberg was inspired by his childhood, his discovery of cinema and what gave him the taste for making cinema.
“It’s the most personal film I’ve made. The warm welcome from everyone in Toronto made my first visit to TIFF intimate and personal for me and my entire family,” Spielberg said in a statement released by festival director Cameron Bailey.
Canadian director Sarah Polley’s “Women Talking” came in second, ahead of Rian Johnson’s “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.”
Awarded since 1978, the People’s Choice Award is based solely on online votes from the public. The result is often seen as a stepping stone to the Oscars.
Previous winners of this award include “Nomadland”, “Green Book”, “12 Years Slave”, “The King’s Speech” and “Slumdog Millionaire”.
Best Canadian Film
In addition to the audience award, TIFF also awarded the Amplify Voices award for best Canadian feature film to the documentary “To Kill a Tiger” by director Nisha Pahuja.
Quebec director Stéphane Lafleur won a special mention for this category with “Viking”, a science fiction film.
“2022 has brought an exceptional selection of films that have thrilled festival audiences around the world,” TIFF director Cameron Bailey said in a statement.
“The wide variety of cinematic narratives from around the world speaks to the uniqueness of the films being made. We are so grateful and proud of this year’s Festival.”