TIFF Announces Awards and Juries for Its 50th Edition

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Aug 27

TIFF’s 50th edition unveils new awards, star-studded juries, and expanded People’s Choice categories ahead of its landmark September celebration.

As the Toronto International Film Festival celebrates its landmark 50th edition, TIFF has officially unveiled its 2025 award categories, jury members, and prizes — including two brand-new awards making their debut this year. The in-person awards ceremony will take place at TIFF Lightbox on Sunday, September 14, and will be livestreamed globally at 10 a.m. ET.

Among the new honors: the International People’s Choice Award and the Short Cuts Award: Best Animated Short Film, expanding TIFF’s long tradition of recognizing audience favorites and short-form creativity. These join established awards such as the Best Canadian Feature Film, Best Canadian Discovery, the FIPRESCI Prize, and the NETPAC Award.

The Best Canadian Feature Film Award and the Best Canadian Discovery Award will each come with a $10,000 cash prize, spotlighting both seasoned filmmakers and emerging voices. Last year’s winners included Sophie Deraspe’s Shepherds and Matthew Rankin’s Universal Language.

TIFF has assembled an impressive roster of jury members. For the Canadian awards, the panel includes documentary veteran Jennifer Baichwal, filmmaker Sophie Jarvis, and director-screenwriter R.T. Thorne.

The international FIPRESCI Jury, presented by the International Federation of Film Critics, will evaluate debut features premiering in TIFF’s Discovery program. Members include Katharina Dockhorn (Germany), Francisco Ferreira (Portugal), Jean-Philippe Guerand (France), Andy Hazel (Australia), and Justine Smith (Canada).

Meanwhile, the NETPAC Jury, dedicated to celebrating films from the Asian and Pacific regions, features global cinema expert Dina Iordanova, Toronto-based filmmaker Helen Lee, and jury chair Keoprasith Souvannavong (France/Laos).

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TIFF’s People’s Choice Awards, presented by Rogers, remain one of the most anticipated bellwethers of Oscar season. In its 48th year, the program will now include four categories: People’s Choice, People’s Choice Documentary, People’s Choice Midnight Madness, and the new International People’s Choice Award. Past winners — from Slumdog Millionaireto American Fiction — highlight just how influential this award can be.

Platform and Short Cuts juries were announced earlier this summer, with notable filmmakers including Carlos Marqués-Marcet, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Chloé Robichaud, Ashley Iris Gill, Marcel Jean, and Connor Jessup evaluating new voices in global cinema and shorts competition.

With the 50th anniversary celebration running from September 4–14, TIFF is preparing for a milestone year that both honors its legacy and looks firmly toward the future of cinema.

The People’s Choice Awards are presented by Rogers. TIFF’s 50th edition runs September 4–14, 2025.