The Toronto International Film Festival has concluded its 2025 edition with “Hamnet,” directed by Chloé Zhao, winning the coveted People’s Choice Award—firmly cementing the film as a frontrunner for this upcoming awards season, including the Oscars.
Notable Wins and Runners-Up
- People’s Choice Award: Hamnet takes top audience honors. Following close behind as runner-ups are Frankenstein by Guillermo del Toro and Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery by Rian Johnson.
- International People’s Choice: Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice emerged as winner. Second and third places went to Sentimental Value by Joachim Trier and Homebound by Neeraj Ghaywan.
- Midnight Madness (audience category): Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie stood out, with Obsession and The Furious trailing.
- Documentary Audience Category: The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue took this prize. EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert came in second, followed by You Had to Be There.
What Makes This Year Special
- Hamnet’s win follows a pattern: TIFF’s People’s Choice winners often go on to receive Oscar nominations. With its emotionally rich narrative involving Shakespeare, grief, and literary legacy, Hamnet may now enjoy increased attention on the awards circuit.
- The spread of winners across genres—drama (Hamnet, Frankenstein), mystery/comedy (Wake Up Dead Man), international cinema, documentaries, and midnight shows—demonstrates TIFF’s diversity in taste and broad appeal to audiences.
- Some of the international winners—like Park Chan-wook—highlight once again the global nature of cinematic excellence and how cross-border storytelling resonates with viewers in Toronto and beyond.
Broader Significance
- The People’s Choice Award at TIFF is a strong indicator of critical momentum. It doesn’t guarantee Oscars or wins, but historically it has helped shape visibility, distribution, and buzz.
- Audience reactions and votes here often distinguish films with staying power from those that are momentary favorites. Winning or placing in these categories tends to boost both box office prospects and festival circuit interest.
- For filmmakers like Chloé Zhao, the award reinforces her status as a storyteller with emotional depth and audience connection. For others who placed highly, the accolades can provide stepping stones toward wider recognition and future opportunities.
Bottom Line
TIFF 2025 delivered memorable moments—and Hamnet’s victory sits at the center of them. The wins and runner-ups reflect both the power of audience choice and the growing diversity of stories that connect worldwide. As awards season approaches, many eyes will now be on how these TIFF successes translate into nominations, wins, and lasting impact.
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