We can always count on the Toronto International Film Festival to bring amazing new movies our way, and this year was no exception. Cord Jefferson’s feature directorial debut American Fiction created a lot of buzz in Toronto and eventually collected the People’s Choice Award.
American Fiction is based on Percival Everett’s novel Erasure and it tells the tale of acclaimed author and English literature professor Thelonious “Monk” Ellison. Frustrated by stereotypical stories of Black misery in modern literature, he decides to write a satirical book that explores similar themes and must reckon with a monster of his own making after his novel becomes a surprise bestseller.
The star-studded cast of American Fiction is led by Jeffrey Wright and also includes Tracee Ellis Ross, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Sterling K. Brown, Myra Lucretia Taylor, John Ortiz, Issa Rae, and Adam Brody.
American Fiction wasn’t exactly a part of the Oscar conversation until now, but that will most likely change after its success in Toronto. People’s Choice Award is regarded as an important indicator of the film’s Oscar success since many of the previous recipients scored nominations and even won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
The 2023 Toronto International Film Festival was held from September 7 to September 17, and Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers and Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron were among the runners-up for the People’s Choice Award.