La Bola Negra Wins TIFF Audience Award, Strengthening Oscar Prospects

Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi’s Spanish-language queer drama La Bola Negra won the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival People’s Choice Award, strengthening its awards-season and best-picture Oscar prospects after its acclaimed Cannes premiere. Peter Farrelly’s I Play Rocky was the first runner-up, while Sian Heder’s Being Heumann placed second runner-up. Simon Stone’s Elsinore won the international audience award, Matthew Rankin’s Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney won Midnight Madness, and Barry Avrich’s Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been won the documentary prize. In the Platform section, Theja Rio’s Angh took the audience award and a cash prize.