‘La Bola Negra’ Leads TIFF 2026 Awards With People’s Choice Win

By Tahani Elghazaly
Published September 20, 2026

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The 51st Toronto International Film Festival concluded on Sunday, September 20, with La Bola Negra, directed by Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, winning the 2026 TIFF People’s Choice Award, the festival’s top audience-voted honour. Indian filmmaker Theja Rio’s Angh took the Platform Prize as TIFF announced this year’s winners at the close of its 11-day festival in Toronto.

I Play Rocky, directed by Peter Farrelly, finished as the first runner-up for the People’s Choice Award, while Siân Heder’s Being Heumann, which opened this year’s festival, placed second runner-up. The award is determined by votes from festival audiences following screenings and has become closely watched during the early stages of the North American awards season.

Simon Stone’s Elsinore, starring Andrew Scott, won the International People’s Choice Award, ahead of Lee Chang-dong’s Possible Love and Hur Jin-ho’s The Assassin(s), which placed first and second runner-up respectively.

In the documentary category, Canadian director Barry Avrich’s Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been received the People’s Choice Documentary Award, while Matthew Rankin’s Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney won the audience award in TIFF’s Midnight Madness programme.

Among the jury-selected honours, Angh won the Platform Prize, worth C$20,000. The Platform section carries additional significance this year following Academy rule changes under which qualifying non-English-language winners can gain eligibility for consideration in the International Feature Film category at the Oscars. Amanda Kernell’s Brace Your Heart received the Platform Special Jury Award.

Palestinian filmmaker Hosam Abu Dan’s Thirteen in Gaza received the NETPAC Award, which recognizes films from the Asian and Pacific regions, while David Turpin’s Ancestors won the FIPRESCI Prize presented by the International Federation of Film Critics.

Canadian cinema also featured prominently among the winners. Serville Poblete’s Sunburn was named Best Canadian Feature Film, while Cody Lightning’s Smudge the Blades received the Best Canadian Discovery Award, recognizing emerging Canadian filmmakers presenting their first or second feature.

In the Short Cuts competition, Elia Kalogianni’s Mammalia won Best International Short Film, Michael Del Monte’s Fight Kid received Best Canadian Short Film, and Varun Raman and Tom Hancock’s Into The Betaverse won Best Animated Short Film. The 51st edition of TIFF ran in Toronto from September 10 to 20, 2026.