It looks like we have our first major contender for the best picture Academy Award as Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast took home the coveted People’s Choice Award at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.
Belfast, which follows a boy (Jude Hill) and his family in tumultuous 1960s Ireland, has so far registered an 89% positive on Rotten Tomatoes, and features an all-star cast led by Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Ciarán Hinds, and Outlander breakout Caitriona Balfe.
The People’s Choice Award win for Belfast at TIFF is significant because nine of the 10 winners of TIFF’s audience-voted top prize have received nominations for best picture at the Oscars. Three have gone on to win, including last year’s Nomadland. With its latest victory, which also follows a warm reception at Telluride Film Festival last month, Belfast is now on the exact same upward trajectory as two other similar heartwarming best picture winners: Slumdog Millionaire and The King’s Speech. Both of those films also world-premiered at Telluride and took home TIFF’s top award, before repeating those wins at the Oscars. The second runner-up went to The Power of the Dog from director Jane Campion and starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
Belfast, which will be released by Focus Features, hits theaters on November 12, 2021, in the States, which is during the true heat of awards season. After this win at TIFF, Belfast will definitely be the talk of awards season and has made itself a true contender for the top prize.
What are YOUR thoughts on Belfast winning the audience award at TIFF?