For the 45th time, the audience has picked the winner at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and it was The Fabelmans by Steven Spielberg that was voted the public's favourite, snatching the People’s Choice Award. The 47th TIFF, which ran from 8-18 September, concluded with the closing ceremony, where Cameron Bailey, TIFF’s CEO, stated: “2022 brought an exceptional selection of films that excited festival audiences around the world. Our line-up showcased beloved auteurs alongside fresh voices in filmmaking, including numerous women powerhouses.” The first runner-up for the People’s Choice Award was Women Talking, directed by Sarah Polley, while the second runner-up was Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery by Rian Johnson.

Three documentaries captured the audience’s hearts. The People’s Choice Documentary Award went to Black Ice by Hubert Davis, and the two runners-up were Maya and the Wave by Stephanie Johnes and 752 is not a Number by Babak Payami.

In the competitive Platform programme, the international jury, chaired by Canadian filmmaker Patricia Rozema, and comprising Norwegian-Pakistani actress-director Iram Haq and Indian filmmaker Chaitanya Tamhane, picked Riceboy Sleeps by Anthony Shim, for “its deeply moving story and precisely observed characters as they navigate racism, dislocation, family and love. It balances social realism with pure poetry.”

The FIPRESCI jury picked A Gaza Weekend by Basil Khalil as its winning film, for “its empathy and intelligence in capturing the zeitgeist, and with its daring approach to contemporary satire and world cinema”.

The Network for the Promotion of Asian and Asia Pacific Cinema (NETPAC) awarded Sweet As by Jub Clerc, which was defined as “a model road film in all aspects with great locations and a strong cast, convincingly telling the story of an indigenous girl on a youth-therapy bus tour – dealing with family, friendship, inspiration and self-identity.”

Here is the complete list of winners at the 47th TIFF:

Platform Prize
Riceboy Sleeps - Anthony Shim (Canada)

People’s Choice Award
The Fabelmans - Steven Spielberg (USA)
1st Runner-up
Women Talking - Sarah Polley (USA)
2nd Runner-up
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery - Rian Johnson (USA)

People’s Choice Documentary Award
Black Ice - Hubert Davis (USA)
1st Runner-up
Maya and the Wave ­- Stephanie Johnes (USA)
2nd Runner-up
752 is not a Number - Babak Payami (Canada)

People’s Choice Award Midnight Madness
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story - Eric Appel (USA)
1st Runner-up
Pearl ­- Ti West (USA)
2nd Runner-up
The Blackening - Tim Story (USA)

FIPRESCI Award
A Gaza Weekend - Basil Khalil (Palestine/UK)

NETPAC Award
Sweet As - Jub Clerc (Australia)

Shawn Mendes Foundation Changemaker Award
Something You Said Last Night - Luis De Filippis (Canada/Switzerland)

Amplify Voices Award
Leonor Will Never Die - Martika Ramirez Escobar (Philippines)
While We Watched - Vinay Shukla (UK)

Amplify Voices Award for Best Canadian Feature Film
To Kill a Tiger - Nisha Pahuja (Canada)
Special Mention
Viking - Stéphane Lafleur (Canada)

Special Mention for Best Feature from an Emerging BIPOC Filmmaker
Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On - Madison Thomas (Canada)

Best Canadian Feature Film
The Fireflies Are Gone – Sébastien Pilote (Canada)

Best Canadian First Feature Film
Roads in February – Katherine Jerkovic (Canada/Uruguay)

IMDbPro Short Cuts Award for Best Film
Snow in September - Lkhagvadulam (Dulmaa) Purev-Ochir (France/Mongolia)
Honourable Mention
Airhostess-737 - Thanasis Neofotistos (Greece)

IMDbPro Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Film
Simo - Aziz Zoromba (Canada)
Honourable Mention
Same Old - Lloyd Lee Choi (Canada)

Share Her Journey Award
Nanitic - Carol Nguyen (Canada)