Dispatches from TIFF

Post-TIFF notes and kind of a blind item...?

Cord Jefferson attends the ‘American Fiction' premiere at TIFF on September 8, 2023 (Photo: Ernesto Di Stefano/Shutterstock)

Dear Squawkers,

Now that TIFF is over for another year, and I am back home and mostly revivified, it’s a good time to reflect on the festival that was. On Sunday, it was announced that Cord Jefferson’s directorial debut, American Fiction, won the people’s choice award, so consider that Oscar campaign launched (typically, the TIFF people’s choice winner goes on to be a Best Picture nominee). You can see the full list of TIFF audience awards (and their one jury award) here.

Jeffrey Wright, star of American Fiction, is also an immediate Best Actor contender. Everyone wants to make that Cillian Murphy vs. Adam Driver vs. Leonardo DiCaprio, but Jeffrey Wright has, at this point, worked with everyone, made big and small films, he’s extremely well liked and well respected. He could run a very healthy “it’s his time” campaign, and no one would begrudge him it.

Alexander Payne at the premiere of ’The Holdovers’ at TIFF on September 11, 2023 (Photo: Reynaud Julien/APS-Medias/ABACA/Shutterstock)

The runners-up of the people’s choice awards were Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers and Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron (an early favorite for Best Animated Feature). So, awards season is kicking into high gear as the various campaigns and races start to shape up. But let’s stick with TIFF for now, we have plenty of time to talk awards later.