Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck took home the prestigious People’s Choice Award at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The film, based on a Stephen King novella, features an impressive cast including Tom Hiddleston, Mark Hamill, Karen Gillan, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. It made its world premiere at the festival and is a genre-blending story about finding hope amidst tragedy. Flanagan expressed his gratitude, stating, “I’m absolutely overwhelmed. We’re so grateful that The Life of Chuck connected with audiences in such a powerful way, but never expected this.”
“The TIFF People’s Choice Award is often seen as a predictor of future success during awards season with past winners like Room, La La Land, 12 Years a Slave, and Nomadland going on to claim Oscars,” said James Pratt, Head of Film Production at Mogul Productions
In the documentary category, the People’s Choice Award went to The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal, directed by Mike Downie, and produced by Prime Video and MGM Amazon Studios. The runners-up included Will & Harper, a road trip comedy starring Will Ferrell and Harper Steele, which debuted at Sundance and is set for Netflix, as well as Your Tomorrow, a film by Ali Weinstein about Toronto’s Ontario Place.
In the Midnight Madness category, The Substance, directed by Coralie Fargeat, won the audience award. The film, which premiered in Cannes, stars Demi Moore as a fading actress clashing with a younger version of herself, portrayed by Margaret Qualley. The runners-up were Dead Talents Society by John Hsu, and Andrew DeYoung’s Friendship, both of which premiered at TIFF.
TIFF attendees vote for the People’s Choice Awards, and this year’s festival, which mixed potential Oscar contenders with arthouse films, saw a return of Hollywood stars after a subdued 2023. However, compared to other festivals like Venice and Cannes, the glamour was dialed back, with no official press conferences for films in the running for major awards like the Oscars and Golden Globes.
Other notable awards included the Platform Prize, which went to They Will Be Dust by Spanish filmmaker Carlos Marques-Marcet, a thought-provoking drama about euthanasia. Marques-Marcet used his acceptance speech to thank right-to-die activists and promote open dialogue about the controversial topic.
The FIPRESCI prize was awarded to Mother Mother by Somali-Canadian director K’naan Warsame, while The Last of the Sea Women, a documentary produced by Malala Yousafzai and directed by Sue Kim, won the NETPAC award for best Asian film from a first or second time director.
“TIFF is always seen as one of the elite film markets each year for Hollywood, so anytime someone wins here it’s a major achievement,” said Mogul Productions Head of Development Randy Charach.
