The just finished Toronto Film Festival has handed out its top honor of The People’s Choice Award, which has gone to Cord Jefferson’s publishing industry satire “American Fiction” starring Jeffrey Wright.
Wright plays Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, a Black writer who adopts the pen name Sinatra Golden and writes a stereotype-laced book titled “We’s Lives In Da Ghetto” as a protest to the publishing industry’s treatment of serious works by Black writers.
He’s soon horrified when the work turns into a bestseller. The film is scheduled to be released theatrically in November.
First runner-up prize went to Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers” whilst the second runner-up was Hayao Miyazaki’s animated film “The Boy And The Heron”.
The Documentary Award went to “Mr. Dressup: The Magic Of Make-Believe,” “Dicks: The Musical” was the Midnight Madness winner, and Sophie Dupuis’ “Solo” scored best Canadian feature.
Winning a TIFF People’s Choice Award is usually a reliable lock for an Oscar Best Picture nomination, with multiple titles winning including “Nomadland,” “Green Book,” “12 Years a Slave,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” “The King’s Speech” and more.
It follows a feisty Toronto, which saw some big winners and losers such as Chris Pine’s “Poolman” which was subjected to some scathing reviews.
Source: Deadline
