‘Hamnet‘ Wins TIFF 2025 People’s Choice Award,Boosting Oscar Prospects
TORONTO – Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet,” a historical drama exploring the potential influence of Shakespeare’s son’s death on his masterpiece “Hamlet,” took home the prestigious People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday. The award, often considered a key indicator of future Oscar success, positions the film as a major contender in the upcoming awards season.
Based on the novel by Maggie O’Farrell, and co-written by O’Farrell and Zhao, “Hamnet” centers on Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes (also known as Anne), and the profound grief following the loss of her 11-year-old son. Zhao previously won the Toronto People’s choice Award in 2020 with “Nomadland,” which went on to win three Academy Awards in 2021, including Best Director.
Runners-up for the People’s Choice prize included Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” and Rian Johnson’s “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.”
Other notable TIFF 2025 award recipients include:
* People’s Choice Documentary Award: “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue,” directed by Barry Avrich. The film faced initial controversy after its invitation was withdrawn and subsequently reinstated following public outcry.
* International People’s Choice Award: “No Other Choice,” directed by Park Chan-wook.
* Midnight Madness Award: “Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie,” directed by Matt Johnson.
* Platform Award: “To The Victory,” directed by Valentyn Vasyanovych.
* Canadian Feature Film: “Uiksaringitara (Wrong Husband),” directed by Zacharias Kunuk.
* Canadian Finding: “Blue Heron,” directed by Sophy Romvari.
* International Short film: “Talk Me,” directed by Joecar Hanna.
* Canadian Short Film: “The Girl Who Cried Pearls,” directed by Chris Lavis and maciek Szczerbowski.
* Animated Short Film: “To the Woods,” directed by Agnès patron.
* NETPAC award: “In Search of the Sky,” directed by Jitank Singh gurjar.
* FIPRESCI Prize: “Forastera,” directed by Lucía Aleñar Iglesias.
Last year’s People’s Choice winner, Mike Flanagan’s “The Life of Chuck,” is slated for public release in summer 2025, a timeline some believe may diminish its Oscar chances.