The Toronto International Film Festival (September 4-14) is fast-approaching, and today, TIFF has announced the first wave of its 2025 Tribute Award winners.
Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (whose new film “Frankenstein” plays TIFF after a Venice world premiere) will receive the TIFF Ebert Director Award.
Two-time Academy Award winner Jodie Foster (whose French-language directorial effort “A Private Life” plays TIFF after world-premiering out of competition in Cannes) will receive the TIFF Share Her Journey Groundbreaker Award.
Award-winning Japanese writer, director, and producer HIKARI (whose “Rental Family” plays the festival) will receive the TIFF Emerging Talent Award.
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Award-winning South Korean actor Lee Byung Hun (who stars in “Squid Game”) is the recipient of the TIFF Special Tribute Award, attending TIFF this year with the North American gala premiere of Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice.”
Academy Award–winning actor and 2022 Tribute Performer Award recipient Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”) will return to the Tribute Awards as the 2025 Honorary Chair.
The seventh annual TIFF Tribute Awards will take place on Sunday, September 7, at Fairmont Royal York Hotel.
“We’re thrilled to announce this year’s recipients, each of whom has left an indelible mark on the cinematic landscape: from the commanding talent of Lee Byung Hun; the visionary imagination of maestro Guillermo del Toro; the evocative storytelling of HIKARI; to the incomparable career of actor, filmmaker, and icon Jodie Foster. We’re honoured to welcome these exceptional artists to Toronto for the seventh annual Tribute Awards,” said TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey. “We’re also delighted to welcome back Brendan Fraser, our 2022 Tribute Performer Award recipient, as this year’s Honorary Chair, a beloved artist and past honouree whose warmth, generosity, and passion for storytelling truly embody the spirit of our Festival.”
The TIFF Tribute Awards gala is TIFF’s largest annual fundraiser. Proceeds support TIFF’s 50th anniversary campaign, Transform Together, advancing TIFF’s talent development, honoring visionary artists, and deepening community impact.
