‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ Wins Audience Award; Complete List – Toronto

Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is the winner of this year’s sometimes Oscar-predictive Grolsch People’s Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival.

The trophy is considered a bellwether of sorts for the awards season race even if it is selected by festival moviegoers who put a ticket stub in a box following a screening. The well-received film had its World Premiere in Venice and starrs Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell and a great ensemble cast. Fox Searchlight releases it in November.

First runner up was Craig Gillespie’s I,Tonya, which was picked up at the festival for release later this year by Neon. Second runner up was Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name, set for November release by Sony Pictures Classics.

Joseph Kahn’s rap satire Bodied took the Midnight Madness People’s Choice Award, while Agnes Varda and J.R.’s Faces Places took the People’s Choice Documentary prize.

Past People’s Choice winners include eventual Best Picture champs 12 Years A Slave, The King’s Speech, Slumdog Millionaire and American Beauty. As far back as 1981, the award signaled a soon-to-be major Oscar upset with Chariots Of Fire.   

Winners that went on to make the list of Best Picture Oscar nominees include La La Land, Room, The Imitation Game, Silver Linings Playbook, Precious, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Life Is Beautiful, Shine, Places In The Heart and The Big Chill. But the top audience prize doesn’t always go to Oscar hopefuls, as evidenced by such titles as Where Do We Go Now?, Bella, Eastern Promises, Zatoichi and The Hanging Garden.

Here is the full list of 2017 winners in the order they were presented at this morning’s ceremony:

IWC Short Cuts Awards – Canadian: Pre-Drink

IWC Short Cuts Awards- International:  The Burden

Canadian First Feature: Luk Luk I

Canadian Feature Film:  Les Affames

Fipresci Jury Award – Discovery:  Ava

Fipresci Jury Award – Special Presentations: The Motive

NETPAC Award For World or International Asian Premiere: The Great Buddha+

Toronto Platform Prize: Sweet Country

Grolsch People’s Choice Award –  Midnight Madness: Bodied

Grolsch Peoples Choice Award – Documentary: Faces Places

Grolsch Peoples Choice Award: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri