The Toronto International Film Festival International Critics' Prizes, currently known as the FIPRESCI Prizes, are film awards presented by the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) to films screening at the Toronto International Film Festival.
History First presented in 1982 as the CFTO International Critics' Prize,Jay Scott, "Ending on a negative note: Censor board accused of 'attempting to destroy festival'". The Globe and Mail, September 20, 1982. the award was voted by all media attending the festival, and could be presented annually to one film, two films or one film with an honorable mention. In 1992, FIPRESCI launched an award at the festival to honour the best film by a first-time director, as selected by an appointed jury of eight international film critics, while the original International Critics' Prize was renamed the Metro Media Award, and continued to be voted on by all accredited media who were not on the FIPRESCI jury.Christopher Harris, "Enough films to send the mind reeling 335 titles in Festival of Festivals lineup (so far)". The Globe and Mail, August 26, 1992.
The Metro Media Award was discontinued after 1998, and replaced with the Discovery Award, which continued to be voted on by all accredited media. In 2008, the awards were modified to present two FIPRESCI awards, one each for films in the festival's Discovery and Special Presentations streams; a media-voted Discovery award was still presented that year alongside the FIPRESCI Discovery award, but was discontinued thereafter.
Since 2020, only a single FIPRESCI Prize winner has been named each year.
Winners International Critics' Prize Year Film Director(s) Ref 1982 Veronika Voss Rainer Werner Fassbinder The Taste of Water (De smaak van water) Orlow Seunke 1983 The Fourth Man Paul Verhoeven Jay Scott, "Big Chill the big winner". The Globe and Mail, September 19, 1983. 1984 Choose Me Alan Rudolph Jay Scott, "Film wins place in fans' hearts". The Globe and Mail, September 17, 1984. 1985 My American Cousin Sandy Wilson Jay Scott, "Official Story voted most popular film; No Surrender, American Cousin critics' choices". The Globe and Mail, September 16, 1985. No Surrender Alan Bleasdale 1986 Man Facing Southeast Eliseo Subiela "Quebec film Le declin tops in T.O.; Arcand's sex comedy wows public and jury". Montreal Gazette, September 15, 1986. 1987 Night Zoo (Un zoo la nuit) Jean-Claude Lauzon Jay Scott, "No attendance figures released; Critics laud Zoo as best film". The Globe and Mail, September 21, 1987. 1988 Distant Voices, Still Lives Terence Davies Ina Warren, "Big stars, little movies honored as Toronto film festival ends". Ottawa Citizen, September 20, 1988. 1989 Jesus of Montreal (Jésus de Montréal) Denys Arcand Jay Scott, "Award-winning filmmakers are unknown no longer". The Globe and Mail, September 18, 1989. 1990 An Angel at My Table Jane Campion "Romantic film most popular". Windsor Star, September 17, 1990. 1991 My Own Private Idaho Gus Van Sant Mark Bastien, "Film festival winner gives $25,000 away". Montreal Gazette, September 16, 1991.
Metro Media Award Year Film Director(s) Ref 1992 Man Bites Dog Benoît Poelvoorde, Rémy Belvaux, André Bonzel Jay Scott, "Festival focus firmly on first features"]. The Globe and Mail, September 21, 1992. 1993 Naked Mike Leigh Shlomo Schwartzberg, "Naked dons 'Best Film' mantle: Receipts up as Toronto film fest calls it a wrap". Financial Post, September 21, 1993. 1994 Heavenly Creatures Peter Jackson Christopher Harris, "Festival prize spells double happiness: Winner Atom Egoyan shares cash with first-time director Mina Shum". The Globe and Mail, September 19, 1994. 1995 La Cérémonie Claude Chabrol Christopher Harris, "Live Bait snags Canadian award". The Globe and Mail, September 18, 1995. 1996 Shine Scott Hicks Sid Adilman, "Journey gets top filmfest award". Toronto Star, September 16, 1996. 1997 Boogie Nights Paul Thomas Anderson Craig MacInnis, "Two share Canadian feature film award: The Sweet Hereafter, The Hanging Garden tie at Toronto Festival". Ottawa Citizen, September 15, 1997. L.A. Confidential Curtis Hanson 1998 Happiness Todd Solondz "The passing show". Ottawa Citizen, September 22, 1998.
Discovery Award Year Film Director(s) Ref 1999 Goat on Fire and Smiling Fish Kevin Jordan Peter Howell, "Toronto International Film Festival Prize goes Hollywood; American Beauty wins top award as annual blowout calls it a wrap". Toronto Star, September 20, 1999. 2000 George Washington David Gordon Green John McKay, "Crouching Tiger choice of the people: Toronto film fest hands out awards at brunch". Halifax Daily News, September 18, 2000. 101 Reykjavík Baltasar Kormákur 2001 Chicken Rice War Chee Kong Cheah "Inuit film wins festival prize; Fast Runner named best Canadian entry at subdued closing ceremonies". Waterloo Region Record, September 17, 2001. 2002 The Magdalene Sisters Peter Mullan "Cronenberg the big winner". Guelph Mercury, September 17, 2002. 2003 Rhinoceros Eyes Aaron Woodley John McKay, "Barbarian Invasions wins at film fest". Kingston Whig-Standard, September 15, 2003. 2004 Omagh Pete Travis "Genocide tale Toronto people's choice winner". North Bay Nugget, September 20, 2004. 2005 Look Both Ways Sarah Watt "South African drama is people's choice at TIFF". The Globe and Mail, September 19, 2005. 2006 Reprise Joachim Trier Chris Knight, "TIFF train pulls out of station: Audience awards". National Post, September 18, 2006. 2007 Cochochi Israel Cárdenas, Laura Amelia Guzmán Mark Medley, "Cronenberg film wins top TIFF prize". National Post, September 17, 2007. 2008 Hunger Steve McQueen Liam Lacey, "Did Hollywood save the best for later?". The Globe and Mail, September 15, 2008.
FIPRESCI Prize Year Film Director(s) Category Ref 1992 Reservoir Dogs Quentin Tarantino Winner 1993 Strapped Forest Whitaker Winner 1994 The Silences of the Palace Moufida Tlatli Winner Fate (Verhängnis) Fred Kelemen Honorable mention 1995 Desolation Angels Tim McCann Winner Eggs Bent Hamer 1996 Life Lawrence Johnston Winner The Daytrippers Greg Mottola Honorable mention 1997 Under the Skin Carine Adler Winner 1998 West Beirut Ziad Doueiri Winner Praise John Curran 1999 Shower Zhang Yang Winner 2000 Bangkok Dangerous Pang Fat & Oxide Pang Chun Winner 2001 Inch'Allah Dimanche Yamina Benguigui Winner Be My Star (Mein Stern) Valeska Grisebach Honorable mention Khaled Asghar Massombagi 2002 Under Another Sky (Les chemins de l'oued) Gaël Morel Winner Open Hearts Susanne Bier Honorable mention 2003 Noviembre Achero Mañas Winner 2004 In My Father's Den Brad McGann Winner 2005 Sa-kwa Kang Yi-kwan Winner 2006 Death of a President Gabriel Range Winner 2007 La Zona Rodrigo Plá Winner 2008 Disgrace Steve Jacobs Special Presentations Lymelife Derick Martini Discovery 2009 Hadewijch Bruno Dumont Special Presentations Liam Lacey, "Precious looks golden after People's Choice win". The Globe and Mail, September 21, 2009. The Man Beyond the Bridge Laxmikant Shetgaonkar Discovery 2010 L'Amour fou Pierre Thoretton Special Presentations Bruce Kirkland, "King's Speech people's pick; George VI drama takes Cadillac award at Toronto filmfest closing celebration". Toronto Sun, September 20, 2010. Beautiful Boy Shawn Ku Discovery 2011 The First Man Gianni Amelio Special Presentations Chris Knight, "Lebanese film wins TIFF's top prize; Starbuck is People's Choice runner-up". National Post, September 19, 2011. Avalon Axel Petersén Discovery 2012 In the House François Ozon Special Presentations Peter Howell, "Silver Linings Playbook writes surprise TIFF ending". Toronto Star, September 17, 2012. Call Girl Mikael Marcimain Discovery 2013 Ida Paweł Pawlikowski Special Presentations Cassandra Szklarski, "12 Years a Slave fan fav at TIFF". Prince George Citizen, September 16, 2013. The Amazing Catfish Claudia Sainte-Luce Discovery 2014 Time Out of Mind Oren Moverman Special Presentations Bruce Kirkland, "GAME ON!; Benedict Cumberbatch film takes audience prize at TIFF". Toronto Sun, February 15, 2014. May Allah Bless France! Abd al Malik Discovery 2015 Desierto Jonás Cuarón Special Presentations Jim Slotek, "TIFF 2015: 'Room' wins People's Choice Award". Postmedia Network, September 20, 2015. Eva Nová Marko Skop Discovery 2016 I Am Not Madame Bovary Feng Xiaogang Special Presentations Chris Knight, "And the winner is ...; La La Land takes bellwether award". National Post, September 19, 2016. Kati Kati Mbithi Masya Discovery 2017 The Motive Manuel Martín Cuenca Special Presentations Ava Sadaf Foroughi Discovery 2018 Skin Guy Nattiv Special Presentations, Winner Chris Knight, "Peter Farrelly's Green Book takes home the Grolsch People's Choice Award at TIFF". National Post, September 16, 2018. A Faithful Man Louis Garrel Special Presentations, Honorable Mention Float Like a Butterfly Carmel Winters Discovery, Winner Twin Flower Laura Luchetti Discovery, Honorable Mention 2019 How to Build a Girl Coky Giedroyc Special Presentations Murmur Heather Young Discovery 2020 Beginning (Dasatskisi) Dea Kulumbegashvili Winner Etan Vlessing, "Toronto: Chloe Zhao's 'Nomadland' Wins Audience Award". The Hollywood Reporter, September 20, 2020. 2021 Anatolian Leopard (Anadolu Leoparı) Emre Kayiş Winner Bruce Haring, "‘Anatolian Leopard’ And ‘Costa Brava, Lebanon’ Are The Big TIFF Award Winners". Deadline Hollywood, September 18, 2021. 2022 A Gaza Weekend Basil Khalil Winner Christian Zilko, "‘The Fabelmans’ Wins TIFF 2022 People’s Choice Award". IndieWire, September 18, 2022. 2023 Seagrass Meredith Hama-Brown Winner Christian Zilko, "American Fiction’ Wins People’s Choice Award at 2023 TIFF (Complete Winners List)". IndieWire, September 17, 2023. 2024 Mother Mother K'naan Warsame Winner Steve Pond, "‘The Life of Chuck’ Wins Toronto Film Festival’s People’s Choice Award". TheWrap, September 15, 2024. 2025 Forastera Lucía Aleñar Iglesias Winner 2026 Ancestors David Turpin Winner Pete Hammond, "‘La Bola Negra’ Wins Oscar Predictive Toronto Film Festival People’s Choice Award". Deadline Hollywood, September 20, 2026.
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