For half a century the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has put the city on the map, bringing the newest and brightest films from across the world for 10 days of movie magic. This year the 50th edition of TIFF takes over the city from Thursday, September 4 until Sunday, September 14, 2025. That means countless cocktail parties, tons of film industry related events, and plenty of red carpet premieres.
This year TIFF will screen more than 300 films throughout the festival and all of those films will be vying for the celluloid fests most coveted award, the audience-voted People’s Choice Award. Wondering why? Well… the People’s Choice Award has a celebrated history, with dozens of winning films going on to receive Academy Award nominations and even win Oscar gold.
TIFF’s People’s Choice Award was first introduced back in 1978 and is considered unique on the festival circuit because it is voted on by the festival’s attendees, rather than a jury.
Here’s a look back at the seven films that won the coveted People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival before going on to win the Oscar for Best Picture.
Nomadland
Nomadland had its Canadian premiere at TIFF on September 11, 2020, the same day as its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The film stars Frances McDormand as a widow who leaves her life in Nevada to drift around the United States in her van. Based on the 2017 nonfiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder, the film went on to win the audience-voted People’s Choice Award at the end of the festival and helped cement the film as a serious major awards contender. Nomadland, directed by Chloé Zhao, went on to win the Best Picture Oscar at the 93rd Academy Awards, which was held on April 25, 2021, rather than its usual late-February date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other Academy Awards won: At the 93rd Academy Awards, Nomadland also won Best Director for Zhao, and Best Actress for McDormand, from a total of six nominations.
Green Book
The Toronto premiere of Green Book was held on September 11, 2018, and the film received three standing ovations at its screening at the Elgin Theatre. The film, starring Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali, tells the true story of a tour through the American South in the 1960s by a black classical pianist and his white driver. The strong reception at TIFF launched the film into serious contention for the Best Picture Oscar, which it won on February 24, 2019.
Other Academy Awards won: Green Book was nominated for five awards at the 91st Academy Awards, winning three awards for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Ali.
12 Years A Slave
Following screenings at the Telluride Film Festival, and the New York Film Festival, 12 Years A Slave finally held its public premiere at TIFF on September 6, 2013. By the end of the festival the film had won the audience-voted People’s Choice Award. Months later Steve McQueen’s adaptation of the 1853 slave narrative memoir Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup received nine Academy Award nominations and went on to win three awards, including Best Picture, at the 86th annual Oscar bash on March 2, 2014.
Other Academy Awards won: 12 Years A Slave also won Best Adapted Screenplay for John Ridley and Best Supporting Actress for Lupita Nyong’o.
The King’s Speech
After The King’s Speech had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, Tom Hooper screened the British biographical film at TIFF on September 12, 2010 (which was also Colin Firth’s 50th birthday). The film about England’s King George VI ascension to the throne and the subsequent speech therapy he underwent to correct a stutter charmed festival goers and was awarded the People’s Choice award at the end of the festival. The King’s Speech went on to receive 12 Oscar nominations, more than any other film that year, and took home the statue for Best Picture award at the 83rd annual Academy Awards on February 29, 2011.
Other Academy Awards won: The King’s Speech also won Best Director for Tom Hooper, Best Actor for Colin Firth, and Best Original Screenplay.
Slumdog Millionaire
Director Danny Boyle’s love letter to Bollywood was a hit when it was screened at TIFF on September 7, 2008; the film ended up taking home the People’s Choice Award at the end of the fest. Months later Slumdog Millionaire was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and took home eight—the most for any 2008 film—including Best Picture.
Other Academy Awards won: At the 81st annual Academy Awards Slumdog Millionaire also won Best Director for Danny Boyle, Best Adapted Screenplay for Simon Beaufoy, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Original Score, Best Original Song (“Jai Ho”), Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing.
American Beauty
Screened at the 1999 Toronto International Film Festival three days after its world premiere in Los Angeles, American Beauty was a massive hit. Screenwriter Alan Ball‘s drama about a depressed suburban father (Kevin Spacey) who suffers a mid-life crisis after developing an infatuation on his teenage daughter’s best friend (Mena Suvari) won the 1999 People’s Choice award before receiving 8 Academy Award nominations. On March 26, 2000 at the 72nd annual Academy Awards, American Beauty won 5 awards and took home the academy’s highest honour… as expected.
Other Academy Awards won: American Beauty also won Best Director for Sam Mendes, Best Actor for Kevin Spacey, Best Original Screenplay for Alan Ball, and Best Cinematography at the 72nd annual Academy Awards.
Chariots Of Fire
Screened at TIFF in 1981 TIFF, shortly after its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, Chariots of Fire was the clear audience favourite. This true story about two Olympic athletes, one a devout Christian running for God, the other an English Jew running to overcome prejudice picked up the People’s Choice award at the festival before receiving seven Academy Award nominations. At the 54th annual Academy Awards ceremony on March 29, 1982, Chariots of Fire took home four awards, including Best Picture.
Other Academy Awards won: Chariots of Fire also took home Best Original Screenplay for Colin Welland, Best Costume Design and (obviously) Best Original Score.
