Named after legendary film critic Roger Ebert, the Award has gone to celebrated visionaries such as Martin Scorsese, Claire Denis, Ava DuVernay, Wim Wenders, and the late Agnès Varda. Past recipients who received the TIFF Ebert Director Award since the TIFF Tribute Awards were introduced include Spike Lee in 2023; Sam Mendes in 2022; Denis Villeneuve in 2021; Chloé Zhao in 2020; and Taika Waititi in 2019.

In addition to Leigh, Canadian filmmaker Durga Chew-Bose (“Bonjour Tristesse”) will receive the TIFF Emerging Talent Award (presented by Amazon MGM Studios). The TIFF Variety Artisan Award will go to French songwriting and composing duo Camille Dalmais and Clément Ducol, in honor of their score for the Netflix-bound Jacques Audiard film “Emilia Pérez.” 

In addition to those recipients, the TIFF Tribute Awards plan to honor Amy Adams, Cate Blanchett, and David Cronenberg at a gala fundraiser on Sunday, September 8th, at Fairmont Royal York Hotel. Sandra Oh will serve as Honorary Chair. 

“It’s a true honour to welcome Mike Leigh back to the Festival and present him with the TIFF Ebert Director Award,” said TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey in a press release. “Leigh has long been acknowledged as one of cinema’s great artists; Roger Ebert himself praised Leigh’s ‘sympathy, penetrating observation, and instinct for human comedy.’ “Hard Truths” is both a summation of that work and a bold move forward.”