Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi’s La Bola Negra has won the People’s Choice Award at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival, with I Play Rocky named first runner-up and Being Heumann second runner-up, writes Deadline.
The awards were announced on Sunday as the festival concluded.
Simon Stone’s Elsinore won the International People’s Choice Award, while Barry Avrich’s Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been received the Documentary People’s Choice Award. The Midnight Madness People’s Choice Award went to Matthew Rankin’s Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney.
La Bola Negra follows three generations of men whose lives become intertwined through desire, pain and love. The film is Spain’s official entry in the International Feature Film Oscar race and is scheduled for a theatrical release through Netflix on 16 October.
The TIFF People’s Choice Award, selected by festival audiences, has often been associated with films that later receive major recognition at the Academy Awards. Past winners include Nomadland, Green Book, 12 Years a Slave, The King’s Speech, Slumdog Millionaire, American Beauty and Chariots of Fire.
This year also marked a change for Tiff’s Platform Prize. Its winner, India’s Angh, directed by Theja Rio, became automatically eligible for the International Feature Film Oscar race without requiring submission by its home country.
Below is the complete list of the 2026 Tiff award winners:
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS PRESENTED BY ROGERS
People’s Choice Award: La Bola Negra, dirs. Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi
First runner-up: I Play Rocky, dir. Peter Farrelly
Second runner-up: Being Heumann, dir. Siân Heder
International People’s Choice Award: Elsinore, dir. Simon Stone
First runner-up: Possible Love, dir. Lee Chang-dong
Second runner-up: The Assassin(s), dir. Hur Jin-ho
People’s Choice Documentary Award: Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been, dir. Barry Avrich
First runner-up: Black Sunflowers, dir. James Marcus Haney
Second runner-up: The Ultra Runner, dir. Mila Aung-Thwin
People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award: Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney, dir. Matthew Rankin
First runner-up: The Spiral, dir. Paolo Strippoli
Second runner-up: Arrested Memory, dir. SABU
PLATFORM PRIZE
Platform Prize: Angh, dir. Theja Rio | India
Special Jury Award: Brace Your Heart (Garrat Du Váimmu), dir. Amanda Kernell | Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Bulgaria
SHORT CUTS AWARDS
Short Cuts Award for Best International Short Film: MAMMALIA, dir. Elia Kalogianni | Greece, Netherlands
Honourable Mention: The Spectacular Death of Prisca, dir. Kaelo Iyizoba | Nigeria
Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film: Fight Kid, dir. Michael Del Monte | Canada
Honourable Mention: Almost Pink, dir. Justine Prince | Canada
Short Cuts Award for Best Animated Short Film: Into The Betaverse, dirs. Varun Raman, Tom Hancock | United Kingdom
Honourable Mention: Terminal, dir. Alexandre Siqueira | Portugal, Spain, France
FIPRESCI PRIZE
FIPRESCI Prize: Ancestors, dir. David Turpin | Ireland, United Kingdom
NETPAC AWARD
NETPAC Award: Thirteen in Gaza, dir. Hosam Abu Dan | Palestine
BEST CANADIAN DISCOVERY AWARD
Best Canadian Discovery Award: Smudge the Blades, dir. Cody Lightning | Canada
Honourable Mention: The Black Box is Orange, dir. Yuula Benivolski | Canada
BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM AWARD
Best Canadian Feature Film Award: Sunburn, dir. Serville Poblete | Canada
Honourable Mention: Man in Motion: The Rick Hansen Story, dir. Adrian Buitenhuis | Canada
