TIFF Executive Director and Co-Head, Joana Vicente said, “Benedict has portrayed some of the most memorable characters screened at TIFF, whether it was Alan Turing in The Imitation Game or Julian Assange in The Fifth Estate; he also has an uncanny ability to take on interesting, complex roles and make them his own in films such as 12 Years a Slave and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy — all of which screened at the Festival. He has had a lasting relationship with TIFF, including two TIFF People’s Choice Award-winning films, and his remarkable range and onscreen presence is sure to captivate audiences at this year’s Festival with his upcoming films The Power of the Dog and The Electrical Life of Louis Wain.”
Previous winners of the award include Kate Winslet, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Meryl Streep and Joaquin Phoenix. Also announced to win TIFF Tribute awards this year are two-time Academy Award-nominee Jessica Chastain; award-winning documentary filmmaker, writer, singer, and activist Alanis Obomsawin, who will be honored with the Jeff Skoll Award in Impact Media supported by Participant Media; and Academy Award–nominated French Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, who will receive the TIFF Ebert Director Award at this year’s Awards broadcast.
Additional TIFF Tribute Award recipients will be announced in the coming weeks. ~Alexandra Heilbron