Netflix’s La Bola Negra walked away with the top prize at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, taking the People’s Choice Award that’s traditionally a good omen for the Academy Awards. The Spanish‑language drama, directed by the pair Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi – popularly known as Los Javis – beat out Peter Farrelly’s I Play Rocky and Siân Heder’s Being Heumann in the final tally.

The win was announced during a live press briefing at the TIFF Lightbox on Thursday evening. Festival officials said the film’s blend of historic scope and intimate storytelling resonated strongly with the crowd. According to Variety, the movie follows three men whose lives intersect across different periods, exploring love, loss and identity.

Why the win matters

The People’s Choice Award has a reputation for flagging titles that later make a splash at the Oscars. JoBlo’s Chris Bumbray called La Bola Negra an "absolute shoo‑in" for the International Feature category and even hinted it could crash the Best Picture race. While the award isn’t a guarantee, past winners – from Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck in 2024 to Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer in 2023 – have shown the festival’s audience can be a reliable predictor.

The film’s star‑studded cast, featuring Penélope Cruz, Glenn Close and Miguel Bernardeau, also helped raise its profile. Their performances, coupled with Los Javis’s signature visual flair, turned the screening into a buzz‑worthy moment on the red carpet. Social media lit up with clips of the standing ovation the film received at Cannes earlier this year, where it also nabbed the Best Director prize.

The runners‑up and other categories

Peter Farrelly’s I Play Rocky, a love‑letter to a young Sylvester Stallone’s struggle to get his iconic screenplay made, claimed the first runner‑up slot. Siân Heder’s Being Heumann, an Apple‑backed biopic, rounded out the top three. In the documentary side of things, Barry Avirch’s Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been scooped the People’s Choice Documentary Award, with interviews from Dionne Warwick and Bruce Springsteen adding gravitas.

The International People’s Choice went to Simon Stone’s Elsinore, an Andrew Scott vehicle that Stone described as a "celebration of life" for artists. Lee Chang‑dong’s Possible Love was the first runner‑up in that segment. Midnight Madness fans voted for Matthew Rankin’s Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney, a quirky archival collage about Canada’s 18th prime minister.

Oscar chatter heats up

Industry watchers are already speculating on La Bola Negra’s Oscar trajectory. If the film maintains its momentum, it could become the first Spanish‑language Netflix original to snag a Best Picture nomination. The buzz is especially strong in Toronto, where the audience’s vote is seen as a litmus test for broader North American tastes.

Even Netflix’s own publicity machine is leaning into the narrative, pushing the film’s themes of queer visibility and intergenerational love as timely talking points for awards season. Whether the Academy will follow the crowd remains to be seen, but the buzz is undeniable.

The festival will wrap up tomorrow, but the conversation around La Bola Negra is just beginning. Keep an eye on the Oscar nomination list in January – the film’s fate could hinge on how many voters remember the standing ovation it earned in Cannes and the cheers it sparked in Toronto.

Stay tuned for our follow‑up on the Oscar shortlist as soon as it drops.