Spike Lee, Pedro Almodóvar, Vicki Krieps, Patricia Arquette and others won honours at the fifth Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Tribute Awards on Sunday.
The awards are presented annually to distinguished creators and held as a gala fundraiser to support TIFF’s programmes and initiatives.
Lee, director of films like Do The Right Thing, She’s Gotta Have It and Malcolm X, received the Ebert Director Award, named for legendary film critic Roger Ebert. He was honoured on stage by Ebert’s widow Chaz Ebert as well as filmmaker Barry Jenkins and TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey.
Receiving the honour, Lee recalled how, when Do The Right Thing released in 1989, Roger Ebert was among the few critics who supported the film when others claimed it might incite Black people to riot. He cited David Denby and Joe Klein as two prominent American critics who were against the film.
Notably, Lee does not have a film in the line-up of the ongoing Toronto International Film Festival.
Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar received the Jeff Skoll Award in Impact Media at the Tribute awards. Almodóvar’s new short film, Strange Way of Life, starring Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal, was recently screened at TIFF.
Both Almodóvar and Patricia Arquette, who won the TIFF Share Her Journey Groundbreaker Award for her illustrious career, addressed the ongoing dual strikes in Hollywood while accepting the honours.
Here are the full list of winners at this year’s Tribute Awards -
Norman Jewison Award - Shawn Levy
Performer Award - Colman Domingo, Vicky Krieps
Director Award - Spike Lee
Variety Artisan Award - Łukasz Żal
Emerging Talent Award - Carolina Markowicz
Jeff Skoll Award in Impact Media - Pedro Almodóvar
Share Her Journey Groundbreaker Award - Patricia Arquette
Special Tribute Award - Andy Lau
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