Sun Sep 15 15:08:26 UTC 2024: ## Mike Flanagan’s “The Life of Chuck” Wins Top Prize at Toronto Film Festival
**Toronto, Canada** – Mike Flanagan’s “The Life of Chuck,” starring Tom Hiddleston, Mark Hamill, Karen Gillan, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, took home the top People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Sunday. The film, a genre-bending adaptation of a Stephen King novella, tells a story of hope in the face of tragedy and received its world premiere at the festival.
Flanagan expressed his gratitude for the award, stating, “We’re so grateful that ‘The Life of Chuck’ connected with audiences in such a powerful way, but never expected this.”
The festival, known for its blend of studio Oscar contenders and arthouse gems, saw a resurgence of celebrity presence after last year’s actors’ strike. However, it remained a quieter event compared to Venice and Cannes, lacking official press conferences and a competitive film program.
Other notable winners included “Emilia Pérez,” a queer crime musical directed by Jacques Audiard, which won the jury prize at Cannes and features Karla Sofía Gascón, the first transgender woman to win Best Actress at the French festival. “Anora,” a sex worker screwball comedy directed by Sean Baker, took home the Palme d’Or at Cannes and was the first runner-up for the People’s Choice Award in Toronto.
The People’s Choice Award for best documentary went to “The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal,” while the best Midnight Madness title went to Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance,” starring Demi Moore.
In other award announcements, Carlos Marques-Marcet’s “They Will Be Dust,” an ensemble drama about euthanasia, won the Platform prize. The FIPRESCI prize went to K’naan Warsame’s “Mother Mother,” and the NETPAC award for the best Asian film went to Sue Kim’s “The Last of the Sea Women,” produced by Malala Yousafzai.
TIFF also recognized Canadian filmmakers, with Sophie Deraspe’s “Shepherds” winning the Best Canadian Feature Film prize.
While the festival saw a renewed presence of Hollywood stars, the film sales market remained muted. No major deals were announced, a trend continuing from last year, likely due to ongoing industry strikes.
The 2024 edition of TIFF saw a few controversies, including protests targeting the Royal Bank of Canada for its involvement in alleged genocidal practices and the cancellation of screenings for Anastasia Trofimova’s “Russians at War” due to security concerns stemming from protests.
First Piper 