Penélope Cruz’s “La Bola Negra” wins People’s Choice Award at Toronto festival — boosting its Oscar 2027 position

The Spanish film “La Bola Negra”, the drama by directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi starring Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close, won the People’s Choice Award on Sunday at the 2026 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The award, given since 1978, is traditionally considered one of the strongest indicators of prestige films that also have the public’s love — and often predicts the Oscar race.

“La Bola Negra” left in the voting “I Play Rocky” by Peter Farrelly, which came second (first runner-up), and “Being Heumann” by Sian Heder, in third. Other favorites this year included “Club Kid” and “Wild Horse Nine”. In the other categories, the International People’s Choice Award went to “Elsinore” by Simon Stone with Andrew Scott (runner-up: “Possible Love” by Lee Chang-dong and “The Assassin(s)” by Hur Jin-ho), the documentary award to “Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been” by Barry Avrich, the Platform jury awarded “Angh” by Theja Rio from India — which automatically qualifies as a candidate for the international Oscar — while the FIPRESCI critics’ award went to “Ancestors” by David Turpin.

Directors Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo at the 2026 Cannes Festival. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0)

The victory also has historic weight: “La Bola Negra” is the first film with a world premiere at the Cannes Festival to win the People’s Choice Award in Toronto since Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” in 2000.

The film had its world premiere in Cannes in May 2026, where it won the Best Director Award (shared) and was greeted with a roughly 20-minute ovation. It is Spain’s official choice for the Oscar 2027 race for best international film. “La Bola Negra” tells the intertwined stories of three men in three eras — 1932, 1937 and 2017 — linked by sexuality and desire, pain and heritage, also inspired by one of Federico García Lorca’s last unfinished works. The cast includes: Guitarricadelafuente (in his acting debut), Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Milo Quifes, Lola Dueñas, Penélope Cruz as Nené Romero and Glenn Close as Isabelle. The American cinema premiere is set for October 16, 2026.

The triumph in Toronto significantly strengthens the film’s position in the Oscar race, where observers expect it to face off against big titles like Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey”. After the success in Cannes and now in Toronto, “La Bola Negra” is turning into one of the main favorites of the awards season.

Source: The Playlist