Steven Spielberg's deeply personal new movie The Fabelmans secured its position as an early Oscars front runner on Sunday by winning the top prize at the Toronto International Film festival.
Scroll through the gallery above to see more of the winners from Toronto
The Fabelmans, out in theatres in November, is a semi-autobiographical drama based on Spielberg's childhood, covering his parents' troubled marriage, anti-Semitic bullying and his early efforts directing zero-budget movies with his teenage friends.
It earned a raucous standing ovation from the audience at its world premiere last weekend at Tiff.
"As I said on stage the other night, above all I'm glad I brought this film to Toronto," the director said.
"This is the most personal film I've made and the warm reception from everyone in Toronto made my first visit to Tiff so intimate and personal for me and my entire Fabelman family."
Voted for by audiences, the People's Choice Award at North America's biggest film festival has become something of an early Oscars bellwether, predicting eventual Academy Award best-picture winners such as Nomadland in 2020.
Spielberg, 75, considered one of Hollywood's greatest living directors, has won three Academy Awards: Best Picture and Best Director for Schindler's List, and Best Director for Saving Private Ryan.
He has been nominated for 19 Oscars to date, and will be expected to add to that tally at next year's Academy Awards, on March 12 in Los Angeles.
The last 10 winners of the Toronto People's Choice Awards were all nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, with three winning the Oscar, including 2019's surprise victor Green Book.
12 Years a Slave (2013), The King's Speech (2010) and Slumdog Millionaire (2008) all began their journeys to Oscar glory with the Toronto prize.
At its premiere last weekend, Spielberg told a rapturous audience how he had long wanted to make such a deeply personal movie, but had eventually been motivated by the "fear" of the pandemic.
"I don't think anybody knew in March or April of 2020 what was going to be the state of the art, the state of life, even a year from then," said Spielberg.
"I just felt that if I was going to leave anything behind, what was the thing that I really need to resolve and unpack about my mom and my dad and my sisters?"
"It wasn't now or never, but it almost felt that way," he said.
Toronto runners-up included Women Talking by Sarah Polley and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery by Rian Johnson.
The top documentary prize went to Hubert Davis's Black Ice, a Canadian movie about historic racism in the world of professional ice hockey.
The Toronto festival, known for its large cinephile crowds and A-list stars, was hit badly by the pandemic, but this year, audiences and red carpet events returned in full force.
Scroll through the gallery below to see stylish stars at Toronto International Film Festival 2022
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Janelle Monae turns heads in her ensemble for the premiere of 'Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery' during the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. Getty Images / AFP -
Daniel Craig arrives for the same screening at Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, on September 10. EPA -
Monae arrives for the premiere. AFP -
Monae's eye-catching ensemble. Getty Images / AFP -
Kate Hudson attends the premiere of 'Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery'. Getty Images / AFP -
Nicolette Robinson arrives for the premiere of 'Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery'. AFP -
Kathryn Hahn arrives for the premiere. AFP -
Leslie Odom Jr arrives for the premiere of 'Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery'. AFP -
X Mayo attends the world premiere of 'The Blackening'. AFP -
Dewayne Perkins attends the premiere. Reuters -
Actor Mateo Zoryon Francis-DeFord at the premiere of 'The Fabelmans'. AFP -
Julia Butters arrives for the premiere of 'The Fabelmans'. AFP -
Canadian actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan arrives for the premiere of 'The Fabelmans'. AFP -
Michelle Williams arrives for the premiere of 'The Fabelmans'. AFP -
Steven Spielberg arrives for the premiere of 'The Fabelmans'. AFP -
Chloe East attends 'The Fabelmans' premiere. AFP -
Oprah Winfrey attends the 'Sidney' premiere. Getty Images / AFP -
Gayle King attends the 'Sidney' premiere. Getty Images / AFP -
Aimee Carrero attends 'The Menu' premiere. Getty Images / AFP -
Judith Light attends 'The Menu' premiere. Getty Images / AFP -
Rozzi, left, and Alex Wolff attend the'"Susie Searches' premiere at Tiff Bell Lightbox on September 9. Getty Images / AFP -
Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry arrive for the premiere of 'Causeway'. AFP -
Lily James attends the 'What's Love Got To Do With It?' premiere at Roy Thomson Hall. Getty Images / AFP -
Toronto Maple Leafs' Wayne Simmonds on the red carpet for the film 'Black Ice' at Roy Thomson Hall. AP -
Chelsea Clinton and Hillary Clinton attend the new Apple documentary series 'Gutsy' event. Getty Images / AFP -
Cobie Smulders attends the 'High School' premiere at Tiff Bell Lightbox. Getty Images / AFP -
Julia Stiles attends the premiere of 'Butcher's Crossing'. AP -
Nicolas Cage attends the premiere of 'Butcher's Crossing'. Invision / AP -
Amelia Gething attends the 'Emily' premiere at Royal Alexandra Theatre. Getty Images / AFP -
Viola Davis attends 'The Woman King' premiere at Roy Thomson Hall. Getty Images / AFP -
John Boyega attends 'The Woman King' premiere. Getty Images / AFP -
Taylor Swift arrives to speak at the festival. Reuters -
Swift and 'Stranger Things' actress Sadie Sink attend 'In Conversation With ... Taylor Swift'. AFP -
South African actress Masali Baduza at the premiere of 'The Woman King'. AFP -
Jayme Lawson attends the world premiere of 'The Woman King'. Reuters -
Natalia Aranguren attends the world premiere of 'The Woman King'. Reuters -
Afghan activist and politician Zarifa Ghafari attends the premiere for 'In Her Hands'. Invision / AP -
Director Tamana Ayazi attends the premiere for 'In Her Hands'. Invision / AP -
Kit Harington attends the premiere for 'Baby Ruby'. Invision / AP -
Jamila C Gray attends the premiere for 'On the Come Up' at the Princess of Wales Theatre. Invision / AP -
Lady London attends the premiere for 'On the Come Up'. Invision / AP -
Daniel Radcliffe, right, and girlfriend Erin Darke attend the premiere for 'Weird: The Al Yankovic Story' at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. Invision / AP -
Evan Rachel Wood attends the 'Weird: The Al Yankovic Story' premiere. Getty Images / AFP -
Jeremy Pope at the premiere of 'The Inspection'. AFP -
Gabrielle Union arrives for the premiere of 'The Inspection'. AFP -
Michael Cooper Jr attends the world premiere of 'On the Come Up'. Reuters -
Director Sanaa Lathan attends the world premiere of 'On the Come Up'. Reuters -
Syrian sisters Sarah Mardini, left, and Yusra Mardini arrive for 'The Swimmers' premiere at Roy Thomson Hall. AFP -
French-Lebanese actress Manal Issa arrives for 'The Swimmers' premiere. AFP -
Christine Ko attends 'The Handmaid's Tale' premiere at Tiff Bell Lightbox. Getty Images / AFP -
Yvonne Strahovski attends 'The Handmaid's Tale' premiere. Getty Images / AFP
