Pedro Almodóvar and Spike Lee have been named as the recipients of the Tribute Awards at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
The awards, now in their fifth year, will be presented on September 10, the first Sunday of the festival’s September 7-17 run.
Almodovar, whose Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown won TIFF’s People’s Choice award in 1988, will receive the Jeff Skoll Award in Impact Media, presented by Participant. The award recognises “leadership in creating a union between social impact and cinema” and past recipients have included Buffy Sainte-Marie, Alanis Obomsawin and Mira Nair.
Lee, whose most recent film to screen at the festival was David Byrne’s American Utopia in 2020, will receive the TIFF Ebert Director Award. Named after film critic Roger Ebert, the award has previously gone to filmmakers including Martin Scorsese, the late Agnès Varda and Denis Villeneuve.
TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey commented: “It’s a true thrill to acknowledge Pedro Almodóvar as the distinguished recipient of the Jeff Skoll Impact Media Award for 2023. Pedro has been coming to TIFF for years and each time is better than the time before. His artistic vision, bold storytelling, and unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of cinema have had a profound impact on cinema. He challenges societal norms, champions diversity, and illuminates the human experience with sensitivity and grace. We applaud his contributions to cinema and celebrate his ability to inspire and provoke audiences worldwide.”
“The TIFF Ebert Director Award recognises filmmakers who have exemplified greatness in their career,” Bailey added. “A foremost storyteller of our era, Spike’s body of work from She’s Gotta Have It, to Do the Right Thing, to Mo’ Better Blues, to his most recent film at TIFF 2021, American Utopia, has inspired audiences and made a lasting impact on the art of filmmaking.”
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