The Toronto International Film Festival International People's Choice Award is an annual film award, presented by the Toronto International Film Festival to films from outside North America.Barry Hertz, "On the beaches of Cannes, TIFF maps outs its ambitious future: The Toronto International Film Festival talked up its 50th anniversary and its coming content marketplace". The Globe and Mail, May 28, 2025.
The award was introduced for the first time at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.
Barry Hertz of The Globe and Mail criticized the newly introduced award when it was first announced at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, stating that it "feels unnecessary, perhaps even exclusionary in a backwards way" and it is "...isolating any “international” film into what can only be seen as a lesser-than siloed category." In practice, an international film can still be named winner of the main People's Choice Award, but an international film that does so is removed from the international award standings to ensure that two different films are named.Scott Feinberg, "Toronto: 5 Things the Fest Told Us About the Oscar Race". The Hollywood Reporter, September 20, 2026.
Winners and runners-up
Year Film Director(s) Ref 2025 No Other Choice Park Chan-wook Pete Hammond, "‘Hamnet’ Wins Oscar-Predictive Toronto Film Festival People’s Choice Award". Deadline Hollywood, September 14, 2025. Sentimental Value Joachim Trier Homebound Neeraj Ghaywan 2026 Elsinore Simon Stone Pete Hammond, "‘La Bola Negra’ Wins Oscar Predictive Toronto Film Festival People’s Choice Award". Deadline Hollywood, September 20, 2026. Possible Love Lee Chang-dong The Assassin(s) Hur Jin-ho
References