Cord Jefferson’s American Fiction, a biting satire starring Jeffery Wright as a disillusioned academic, has won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival – a much-watched bellwether in the Oscar race.
The film, about an author who resents that the literary industry is only interested in “black books” that cater to the stereotypes of white audiences, emerged as a breakout hit at Tiff. In 2018, when Green Book won, it announced the film as a surprise awards contender – and Peter Farrelly’s film went on to win best picture at the Oscars.First runner-up went to Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, starring Paul Giamatti as a curmudgeonly boarding school teacher tasked with staying with a handful of students over Christmas break in the 1970s.
“I was having the exact same conversations with black colleagues in both professions: Why are we always writing about misery and trauma and violence and pain inflicted on blacks?” said Jefferson.Tiff, which wraps up on Sunday, was diminished this year due to the ongoing actors and writers strikes.