Screen Rant's Toronto International Film Festival 2024 Awards

Screen Rant was on earth for this year Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and with ten days of films, premieres, special screenings and connecting with fellow film buffs, we’ve compiled some awards to highlight the best of the fest. of course, TIFF handed out its own awards At the end of the festival, one of which was the people’s choice, and the others were jury-participated prizes for the various filmmakers. The awards and recognition are well-deserved, but what’s the fun in awards if they’re only one time?

There were many films that caught our attention. Whether offering tour de force performances or stellar storytelling, TIFF featured a diverse, high-quality slate of films this year. In order to be fair and make sure to highlight different films and actors, each selected film or performance will be shown only once. This means that a film or an actor cannot “win” more than one category. With that in mind, let’s get straight to our awards, which feature the Best Film category and a Rising Star award for an up-and-coming actress.

Best Director: Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez

2nd place: Steven Soderbergh, Presence

Emilia Perez is a drama film that follows the life of Emilia Perez, a determined and ambitious individual who strives to make a name for herself in a competitive environment. The story explores her journey as she navigates the challenges and obstacles that come her way, all while uncovering the complexities of her own identity.

Director: Jack Audiard
Writers: Jacques Audiard, Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius
Figure: Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldana, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, Edgar Ramirez, Mark Ivanir, Eduardo Aladro, Emiliano Edmundo Hasan Jalil, James Gerard, Eric Geynes, Agathe Bokja, Chun-Ting Lin, Stéphane Lycal. Tassirat, Carla Lazo
runtime: 130 minutes

Jacques Audiard’s Unclassifiable Emilia Perez
is the French filmmaker’s boldest work yet. It transcends genres – including narco crime saga, introspective drama and pop opera – to become something wilder. The film follows the title character, beautifully played by Karla Sofía Gascón, a former drug lord who has disappeared and transitioned to a woman. When she returns to Mexico to reclaim her old life and seek redemption for her past, Emilia’s wife Jessie (Selena Gomez), their two children, and Rita (Zoe Saldana), the lawyer who helped her transition, are caught up in the question of whether one can find absolution.

The four women at the film’s center, which also includes a delicate turn from Adriana Paz, anchor Emilia PerezLetting his awkward instincts run free while grounding the film in deep yet melodramatic emotion. Musical numbers about murder and transitioning life alongside moments of deep sadness and joyful discovery. That Audiard shoots the numbers as well as the more intimate moments is a testament to his handle on the material. This formal experimentation leads to several heart-racing moments, including a musical number set during a charity dinner and another in a karaoke bar. Its neon-lit scenes and shadowy framing only heighten the intensity of the proceedings. All of these disparate elements come together to make the impossible work. – Dear Goodman

Best Screenplay: Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Cloud

2nd Place: Marielle Heller, Nightbitch

Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Cloud
It’s like two movies in one. What begins as a slice-of-life comedy of intrigue about a guy who resells things on the Internet becomes a gloriously absurd shoot ’em up about Internet beef and petty grievances. Kurosawa handles this turn with aplomb, balancing the swindler Yoshii’s shock at the ending of his life with the chaotic slick gun battles and showdowns. There are even horror elements that evoke the writer-director’s previous works such as Chime And Pulse. – Dear Goodman

Best Actress: Demi Moore, The Substance

2nd place: Zoe Saldańa, Emilia Pérez

Elisabeth Sparkle, a fading celebrity, turns to a mysterious drug that promises to restore her youth by creating a younger, more beautiful version of herself. But the time split between her original and new body leads to horrifying consequences when her alternate self, Sue, begins to unravel her life in a disturbing body-horror descent.

Director: Coralie Fargeat
Writers: Coralie Fargeat
Figure: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid, Gore Abrams, Hugo Diego Garcia, Olivier Raynal, Tiffany Hofstetter, Tom Morton, Jiselle Burkhalter, Axel Baille, Oscar Lesage, Matthew Géczy, Philip Schurer
runtime: 140 minutes
Release date: September 20, 2024

It’s hard to overstate how brilliant Demi Moore is The substance
. She balances rage, sadness and determination with a towering performance, all wrapped up in the most disgusting and squirm-inducing body horror in years. The academy’s distaste for the genre often leads them to scrutinize performances in horror, but Moore’s turn in The substance Ask to be seen – and recognized. How over-the-top completely, The substance It’s not subtle in its themes of women’s beauty standards and aging, but that’s by design. Moore’s turn is equally maximalist, although there are moments where she gets to infuse the character of Elizabeth Sparkle with precise nuance that makes for a heartbreaking and gut-churning film. – Dear Goodman

Best Actor: Hugh Grant, Heretic

2nd place: Mark Eidelstein, Anara

Hugh Grant and Mr. Reid hold a light in heretics

Heresies
Is Hugh Grant like you’ve never seen him before. Known for his more comedic roles, Hugh plays a villain in this unsettling horror thriller and he does it exceptionally well. Grant plays the elusive Mr. Reid, who previously expressed interest in learning about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, though he uses the reason to lure two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) into his home for a, uh , “conversation” that quickly spirals into an experience that is more horrifying than it was.

Under the direction of writing duo Scott Beck and Brian Woods, Grant uses his body language to be intimidating, while his smile – creepy as it is – is a picture of friendliness. Heresies is chilling enough on its own, but Grant highlights the material with a passionate, spooky performance that, frankly, disturbed me the whole way through. This is a prime example of how the face of a beloved actor can turn into a menacing one that forces us to turn away from him in fear, and simultaneously want more of his amazing character. – May Abdulbaki

Best Film: Anora

2nd place: Conclave

Anora’s life takes a dramatic twist when she impulsively marries the son of a Russian oligarch, catapulting her from the streets of Brooklyn to a world of opulence and scrutiny. When her new in-laws arrive with plans to break up the fast-moving union, Anora must navigate the cultural and social chasms between her past and her present. The film, directed by Sean Baker, masterfully combines sharp social commentary with heartfelt drama, and paints a vivid picture of love, identity, and the unexpected consequences of a fairy tale gone wrong.

Director: Sean Baker
studio(s): Cre Film, FilmNation Entertainment
Writers: Sean Baker
Figure: Mikey Madison, Mark Eidelstein, Karen Karagulyan, Yuri Borisov, Vache Tovmasian, Ivy Volk, Luna Sophia Miranda, Ross Brodar, Lindsay Normington, Daria Ekamasova, Emily Weider, Alena Gurevich, Masha Zak, All White Cow, Char Zak, All White Cow Ella Rubin, Vincent Radwinski, Michael Sergio, Brittney Rodrigues, Sophia Carnabucci, Anton Bitter, Zoe Wnak
runtime: 139 minutes

when Anora Earned raves out of Cannes, eventually clinching the Palme d’Or, I was skeptical. Not because I don’t have faith in Sean Baker or Mikey Madison, both of whom have been favorites of mine for some time. But the praise being so high made it seem like Anora
Could be one of those over-hyped festival offerings that often happens at major premieres. I am happy to say that the hype for Anora is very, very real. It’s Sean Baker’s best film yet, with a star-making central performance that ties the whole chaotic thing together.

Madison stars as the title character, a sex worker in New York City who becomes involved with a rich Russian boy. They eventually get married and things unravel from there. Baker finds the perfect pitch for his recipe of disorder, shouting and scuffles devolving into a city-wide quest as Anora’s resolve slowly weakens. Madison goes from cool confidence to quiet devastation by the end of the film and the final scene of Anora is one that is both hopeful and gut-wrenching. – Dear Goodman

Biggest surprise of the fest: Conclave

2nd place: Nightbeach

Ralph Fiennes stands in a church in conclave after

Conclave
Surpassed any expectations I had to become a TIFF favorite. The film’s synopsis is intriguing on its own, but what director Edward Berger and screenwriter Peter Straughan manage to accomplish in execution is tantalizingly suspenseful. The film follows a group of cardinals who must isolate themselves to elect a new pope, but what emerges is a political thriller with nuanced twists that only heighten the tension between its cast, led by a superb and endlessly patient Ralph Fiennes ( who was considered for our best actor award).

Strange thing I expected Conclave To be interesting at least, but to be completely blown away by it is another thing entirely. It’s a film I’ve been thinking about since I first saw it, and it only gets more fascinating the more I sit with it. It is thought-provoking as it explores power and political tension between the cardinals, whose relationship with each other and the world is more uncertain than we think. ConclaveBased on Robert Harris’ book, is intimate and nuanced. It keeps us hooked on every word and character as it builds to a stunning ending. – May Abdulbaki

Rising Star Award: Ryan Destiny, The Fire Inn

The story of Claressa ‘T-Rex’ Shields, a boxer from Flint, Michigan who trained to become the first woman in her country’s history to win an Olympic gold medal in the sport.

Director: Rachel Morrison
Release date: December 25, 2024
Writers: Barry Jenkins
Figure: Ryan Destiny, Jazmin Headley, Kylee D. Allen, Brian Tyree Henry, De’Adre Aziza, Chrystian Buddington, Maurice Wayne Anglin, Teanna Weir

The fire inside
Rachel Morrison’s directorial debut is not only an emotional sports drama but it boasts a captivating and layered central performance from Ryan Destiny. The actress really impressed me in a difficult role, balancing the personal struggles of real-life boxer Claressa Shields with an ambitious and tough-on-the-outside persona. Future is simultaneously pathetic and vulnerable, ambitious and disappointed when real-world challenges threaten to consume her. Best known for her role in the series StarDestiny more than proved her skill as an actress. She puts her all into this role and I’m excited to see what she tackles next. – May Abdulbaki

Although we agreed the above films should be awarded in their respective categories, each member of our team has their personal favorites from the festival. Some of the films didn’t necessarily land in any particular category, but they were considered the best of our viewing experiences while we were at TIFF. With so many films, it was impossible to see every film that was out there, but even our individual top five lists highlight some popular choices – Anora, Emilia PerezAnd The substance between them.