The generational queer drama “La Bola Negra” has taken the 2026 TIFF People’s Choice Award, a coveted audience prize out of the annual film festival in Toronto.
Directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, the Netflix project has been on a tear since world premiering in Cannes this year (where it earned a 16-minute standing ovation and won best director for the pair known as “Los Javis”). The film is described as an epic about “the lives of three men intertwined in love and loss across eras.”
The audience award is largely seen as an indicator of legs on the road to the Oscars stage. “La Bola” edged out first-runner-up “I Play Rocky,” Peter Farrelly’s crowd-pleaser about the making of the Sylvester Stallone classic. Siân Heder’s Apple project, “Being Heumann,” came in as the second runner-up.
The People’s Choice Documentary Award went to “Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been.” Director Barry Avirch examines the life and impact of Love, who spent “many years she spent providing lead and background vocals, often uncredited, for some of the biggest hits of the 1960s while under contract to Phil Spector, the superstar producer who became her nemesis.” The film features interviews with Dionne Warwick, Bruce Springsteen, and David Letterman. The doc category’s first runner-up was James Marcus Haney’s “Black Sunflowers,” followed by Mila Aung-Thwin’s “The Ultra Runner.”
“Elsinore” won the TIFF International People’s Choice Award. Director Simon Stone called the Andrew Scott vehicle “a celebration of life. Of choosing courage and creativity in the face of great challenges,” and a “love letter to actors and artists everywhere … those who give themselves fully to their craft.” Lee Chang-dong’s “Possible Love” came in as first runner-up with Hur Jin-ho “The Assassin(s)” at second.
Finally, the People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award went to “Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney.” Director Matthew Rankin’s archival clip show of Canada’s 18th Prime Minister has been praised as both an arty multimedia exploration and the “weirdest” film at TIFF this year. Paolo Strippoli’s “The Spiral” came in as first runner-up, with Sabu’s “Arrested Memory” in second.