The Platform Prize is an annual film award, presented by the Toronto International Film Festival to films of "high artistic merit that also demonstrate a strong directorial vision"."TIFF reveals Cannes-centric jury for 2018 Platform competition". The Globe and Mail, May 10, 2018. Introduced in 2015, the award is presented to a film, selected by an international jury of three prominent filmmakers or actors, from among the films screened in the Platform program.
The award is named after Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke's historical drama feature film Platform (2000).
History According to festival programmer Cameron Bailey, the Platform program and prize were established because "films are passing through the festival without the attention they deserve"."At TIFF, a competition that's still not competitive". The Globe and Mail, September 14, 2017. He compared Platform's intentions to the Cannes Film Festival's Directors' Fortnight and Un Certain Regard streams rather than its Palme d'Or award, indicating that it was meant to provide a platform for distinctive or innovative films but not to supplant the People's Choice Award as the top award at the festival.
The program normally screens between eight and twelve films; only one winner is selected each year, although as with TIFF's other juried awards the jurors have the discretion to give honorable mentions to other films besides the overall winner. In 2024, the jury for the first time chose to give out a special honorable mention to an individual performer in one of the Platform films.
The winner of the Platform Prize receives $25,000 from the award's current corporate sponsor, Air France."Air France signs with TIFF". Media in Canada, August 11, 2017. After the award is announced, the festival offers a repeat screening of the winner at the TIFF Lightbox on the final day of the festival.
From 2026, the non-English language winners will also be automatically eligible for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. With the announcement, TIFF expanded the program to 12 films from the 10 of recent years, and expanded the award jury from three to five members; according to TIFF programming officer Anita Lee, “We want to position these as emerging international films and filmmakers you should have on your radar.”Jeremy Kay, "Buyers weigh in on Toronto’s revamped Oscar-qualifying Platform section". Screen Daily, September 10, 2026.
Critical response In some years, the film magazine Screen International has convened its own unofficial panel of film critics, who were assigned to watch all the Platform films and conduct their own independent vote on which film should win the award."'Rojo', 'The River' top Screen's final TIFF Platform jury grid". Screen Daily, September 13, 2018. Their panel in 2017 selected Warwick Thornton's Sweet Country, the same film that won the prize,"'Sweet Country' tops Screen's Toronto Platform jury grid". Screen Daily, September 20, 2017. but their panel in 2018 split between two films, Benjamín Naishtat's Rojo and Emir Baigazin's The River,"TIFF 2018: Rojo deserves to win the Platform Prize". Now, September 15, 2018. while the festival jury awarded the prize to Ho Wi Ding's Cities of Last Things;"TIFF 2018 Awards: ‘Green Book’ Wins the People's Choice Award, Upsetting ‘A Star Is Born’". IndieWire, September 16, 2018. the jury did, however, give The River an honorable mention.
Other critics have questioned whether the Platform Prize has been effective at accomplishing its stated goals at all."Will TIFF's Platform Prize ever take off?". Now, May 16, 2018. Canadian documentary filmmaker Alan Zweig, who won the inaugural Platform Prize in 2015 for his film Hurt, noted that while it was not the least successful film of his career in general release, the prize did not appear to give the film any major boost in distribution or box office sales over his other films. The 2016 jury's choice of Pablo Larraín's Jackie has also been questioned by critics, in particular because the Platform lineup that year also included Moonlight, which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Competition † denotes a non-winning film which received an honorable mention from the jury.
2010s Year English Title Original Title Director Ref. 2015 Hurt Alan Zweig Peter Howell, "Searching for global excellence at TIFF, then choosing Toronto". Toronto Star, September 20, 2015. Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story)Bang Gang (une histoire d'amour moderne) Eva Husson Naman Ramachandran, "High-Rise amongst 12 Platform titles at Toronto". Cineuropa, August 17, 2015. The ClanEl clan Pablo Trapero French BloodUn Français Diastème Full Contact David Verbeek High-Rise Ben Wheatley Land of MineUnder sandet Martin Zandvliet Looking for Grace Sue Brooks Neon BullBoi neon Gabriel Mascaro The Promised Land回到被爱的每一天 He Ping Sky Fabienne Berthaud The White KnightsLes Chevaliers Blancs Joachim Lafosse 2016 Jackie Pablo Larraín DaguerrotypeLe Secret de la chambre noire Kiyoshi Kurosawa Anita Busch, "Toronto Film Festival Announces Films To Screen In Its 2nd Annual Platform Program". Deadline Hollywood, August 11, 2016. Goldstone Ivan Sen Heal the Living Réparer les vivants Katell Quillévéré Hema Hema † ཧེ་མ་ཧེ་མ། Khyentse Norbu Home Fien Troch Lady Macbeth William Oldroyd Layla M. Mijke de Jong Searchers ᒪᓕᒡᓗᑎᑦ Zacharias Kunuk and Natar Ungalaaq Moonlight Barry Jenkins Nocturama Bertrand Bonello Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves Ceux qui font les révolutions à moitié n'ont fait que se creuser un tombeau Mathieu Denis and Simon Lavoie 2017 Sweet Country Warwick Thornton Beast Michael Pearce Jeremy Kay, "'The Death Of Stalin' to open Toronto Film Festival Platform programme". Screen Daily, August 3, 2017. Brad's Status Mike White Custody Jusqu'à la garde Xavier Legrand Dark River Clio Barnard The Death of Stalin Armando Iannucci Euphoria Lisa Langseth If You Saw His Heart Si tu voyais son cœur Joan Chemla Mademoiselle Paradis Licht Barbara Albert Razzia غزية Nabil Ayouch The Seen and Unseen Sekala Niskala Kamila Andini What Will People Say Hva vil folk si Iram Haq 2018 Cities of Last Things 幸福城市 Ho Wi-ding Angelo Markus Schleinzer Norman Wilner, "TIFF 2018: Nicole Kidman, Elisabeth Moss films to compete for Platform Prize". Now, August 8, 2018. Destroyer Karyn Kusama Donnybrook Tim Sutton The Good Girls Las niñas bien Alejandra Márquez Abella Her Smell Alex Ross Perry The Innocent Der Unschuldige Simon Jaquemet Jessica Forever Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel Lady J Mademoiselle de Joncquières Emmanuel Mouret Out of Blue Carol Morley The River † Өзен Emir Baigazin Rojo Benjamín Naishtat 2019 Martin Eden Pietro Marcello Anne at 13,000 Ft. † Kazik Radwanski The Moneychanger Así habló el cambista Federico Veiroj My Zoe Julie Delpy Proxima † Alice Winocour Rocks Sarah Gavron The Sleepwalkers Los sonámbulos Paula Hernández Sound of Metal Darius Marder Wet Season 热带雨 Anthony Chen Workforce Mano de obra David Zonana
2020s Year English Title Original Title Director Ref. 2020Award not presented, due to the reduced program in light of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. 2021 Yuni Kamila Andini Steve Pond, "‘Belfast’ Wins Toronto Film Festival’s People’s Choice Award". TheWrap, September 18, 2021. Arthur Rambo Laurent Cantet Pat Mullen, "TIFF Unveils Line-up for ‘Celebrating Alanis’ Retrospective". Point of View, August 11, 2021. Drunken Birds Les oiseaux ivres Ivan Grbovic Earwig Lucile Hadžihalilović Good Madam † Mlungu Wam Jenna Cato Bass Huda's Salon صالون هدى Hany Abu-Assad Montana Story Scott McGehee and David Siegel Silent Land Cicha ziemia Aga Woszczyńska 2022 Riceboy Sleeps Anthony Shim Christian Zilko, "‘The Fabelmans’ Wins TIFF 2022 People’s Choice Award". IndieWire, September 18, 2022. Charcoal Carvão Carolina Markowicz Jeremy Kay, "Frances O’Connor’s ‘Emily’ to open TIFF Platform alongside films from Maïmouna Doucouré, Rima Das". Screen Daily, August 3, 2022. Emily Frances O'Connor The Gravity La Gravité Cédric Ido Hawa Maïmouna Doucouré How to Blow Up a Pipeline Daniel Goldhaber Subtraction تفریق Mani Haghighi Thunder Foudre Carmen Jaquier Tora's Husband Rima Das Viking Stéphane Lafleur 2023 Dear Jassi Tarsem Singh Dhandwar Christian Zilko, "American Fiction’ Wins People’s Choice Award at 2023 TIFF (Complete Winners List)". IndieWire, September 17, 2023. Dream Scenario Kristoffer Borgli John Hazelton, "Toronto unveils 2023 Platform line-up; ‘Dream Scenario’ with Nicolas Cage to open". Screen Daily, August 2, 2023. Great Absence 大いなる不在 Kei Chikaura I Told You So Te l'avevo detto Ginevra Elkann The King Tide Christian Sparkes Not a Word Kein Wort Hanna Slak The Rye Horn O Corno Jaione Camborda Sisterhood HLM Pussy Nora El Hourch Shame on Dry Land Syndabocken Axel Petersén Spirit of Ecstasy La Vénus d'argent Héléna Klotz2024 They Will Be Dust Polvo serán Carlos Marqués-Marcet Steve Pond, "‘The Life of Chuck’ Wins Toronto Film Festival’s People’s Choice Award". TheWrap, 15 September 2024. Daniela Forever Nacho Vigalondo Daughter's Daughter † to Sylvia Chang for her performance 女兒的女兒 Huang Xi Mr. K Tallulah H. Schwab Paying for It Sook-Yin Lee Pedro Páramo Rodrigo Prieto Triumph Триумф Petar Valchanov and Kristina Grozeva Viktor Віктор Olivier Sarbil Winter in Sokcho Hiver à Sokcho Koya Kamura The Wolves Always Come at Night Gabrielle Brady2025 To the Victory! За Перемогу! Valentyn Vasyanovych At the Place of Ghosts Sk+te’kmujue’katik Bretten Hannam Mian roya va omid Farnoosh Samadi Bouchra Orian Barki and Meriem Bennani The Currents Las Corrientes Milagros Mumenthaler Hen † Κότα György Pálfi Nino Pauline Loquès Steve Tim Mielants Winter of the Crow Kasia Adamik The World of Love 세계의 주인 Yoon Ga-eun2026 Angh Theja Rio Pete Hammond, "‘La Bola Negra’ Wins Oscar Predictive Toronto Film Festival People’s Choice Award". Deadline Hollywood, September 20, 2026. Brace Your Heart †Garrat du váimmu Amanda Kernell Children Untoldわたしの知らない子どもたち Miwa Nishikawa Zac Ntim, "TIFF Platform: International Oscar Qualifying Competition Expands To 12 Films; Amma Asante Among Jury Members". Deadline Hollywood, July 21, 2026. Djinn WeddingCinlerin Düğünü Ferit Karahan Idda Irene Dionisio In the Heart of the South Nyla Innuksuk Masc Bertil Nilsson On Behalf of My SonVicentina Pede Desculpas Gabriel Martins Silenced Nights Lawrence Fajardo The Smell of ApplesDie Reuk van Appels John Trengove Wild, Wild EastDziki, dziki wschód Jan Holoubek The World Before첫세계 Yoon Dan-bi
Juries YearJuryRef. 2015 Jia Zhangke, Claire Denis, Agnieszka Holland 2016 Brian de Palma, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, Zhang Ziyi 2017 Chen Kaige, Małgorzata Szumowska, Wim Wenders2018Lee Chang-dong, Béla Tarr, Mira Nair2019Carlo Chatrian, Jessica Kiang, Athina Rachel Tsangari2021Riz Ahmed, Clio Barnard, Anthony Chen, Valerie Complex, Kazik Radwanski2022Patricia Rozema, Iram Haq, Chaitanya Tamhane2023Barry Jenkins, Nadine Labaki, Anthony Shim2024Atom Egoyan, Hur Jin-ho, Jane Schoenbrun2025Carlos Marqués-Marcet, Chloé Robichaud, Marianne Jean-Baptiste2026Pablo Trapero, Amma Asante, Sylvia Chang, Luc Déry, Albert Lee
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