La Bola Negra grabs top audience award at Toronto film festival
The Spanish-language drama "La Bola Negra" has been voted the favorite film by audiences at the Toronto International Film Festival, per TheWrap and The Hollywood Reporter. The festival's signature People's Choice Award was announced Sunday as TIFF concluded its 2026 edition.
The film, directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi (known collectively as Los Javis), is a sweeping story about queer men across three generations. The directors stated, per THR, that knowing audiences connected with their personal film was "the greatest gift we could receive."
Runner-up for the main audience prize was Peter Farrelly's "I Play Rocky," a film about the making of the 1976 boxing classic. Sian Heder's "Being Heumann" took third place.
According to TheWrap, the festival's public attendees vote for the award after screenings. The win is notable as it marks the first time in over a decade that a film not in English has taken the top audience prize.
Netflix, which acquired the film after its Cannes premiere, is planning a theatrical release and awards campaign. TheWrap notes that since 2008, the majority of films winning this particular audience award have later secured Oscar nominations for Best Picture.
