Cate Blanchett thanked underwear maker Knix for sponsoring her TIFF Tribute Award on Sunday night, which was ironic because the Elizabeth AND Carol Apparently, the actress went all out to attend the glittering festival event.
“I don’t actually wear underwear,” Blanchett revealed, jokingly or not, while wearing a long party dress on stage at the Royal York Hotel. “As Michelle Obama says, when I go down, you go up,” she added during a free-form acceptance speech, without the use of a teleprompter or her cellphone.
On a more serious note, Blanchett paid tribute to her fellow actresses. “We need to continue to ask ourselves questions that open closed doors and know our value, our creative and financial value, because more inclusivity on our sets leads to less homogenized and more vibrant storytelling,” she said.
“I think homogeneity is the enemy of everything we do,” said Blanchett, also a star of Tar AND Blue Jasmineadded. The award tribute to Blanchett coincides with the Oscar winner's participation in Canadian director Guy Maddin's film voiceswhich has a North American premiere in Toronto, and that of Alfonso Cuarón Disclaimera TV series screened as part of TIFF's Primetime program.
The gala dinner to raise funds for TIFF's philanthropic efforts, and an occasional preview of the Oscar recognition, is held annually at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel. Among other impassioned tributes Sunday night, Angelina Jolie received the TIFF Tribute Award in Impact Media while touring her latest film, Without blood, in Toronto for a world premiere.
And while introducing Jolie, Salma Hayek Pinault admitted to having stage fright. “I'm so excited, and it's not even my award,” the Without Blood star said before praising Jolie. When accepting the award, Jolie lamented that she hasn't done enough to protect human rights around the world, while seeking unity through her films and art.
“In a world full of broken commitments, it often seems that power, control and business are more important than protecting the fragile fabric of human rights,” said Jolie, who in addition to making films about war in recent years is also a longtime human rights activist. Jolie also hosted a private screening of Netflix on Sunday Mary, in which she plays opera legend Maria Callas, after a world premiere in Venice.
Oscar-nominated actress Amy Adams was overcome with emotion as she accepted the TIFF Tribute Performer Award after being presented by I arrive director Denis Villeneuve, a native French speaker who spoke of his improved command of the English language when he brought her on stage. In addition to thanking Villeneuve for being with her on stage, Adams gave a shout-out to her daughter Aviana, 14, for attending her first-ever awards show, where her mother was among the trophy winners.
“I am truly honoured to be here tonight among the activists, artists and visionaries who have inspired me, both on and off screen, for not for how long, but for a long time,” Adams added from the stage at the Royal York Hotel.
Emmy-winning actor Jharrel Jerome, at TIFF with his latest film, Unstoppablereceived a TIFF Tribute Award. “This story is something I believed in and wanted to see it through, and brother, look at us now,” Jerome told director William Goldenberg, a veteran editor making his directorial debut, with whom he worked for five years to get Unstoppable Done.
Zhao Tao, who received a special tribute award in part as a longtime muse to Chinese auteur Jia Zhangke, said at the awards ceremony that her honor came at the right time. “TIFF is encouraging me when I needed it most. Thank you to Toronto for your generosity,” Tao said. Proceeds from the Tribute Awards go to the festival’s TIFF Every Story Fund, which encourages diversity, equity and inclusion in filmmaking.
Viggo Mortensen helped introduce David Cronenberg to receive the Norman Jewison Career Achievement Award, and in the process criticized the Canadian director for never having been nominated, much less won, an Academy Award for his work. “That's really remarkable and to me it's astonishing, but I don't think he cares much,” Mortensen said of Cronenberg's Oscar ambitions.
Cronenberg is at TIFF this year for the North American premiere of his latest film, The shroudswho bowed at Cannes. “I just wanted to let you know, I think I should tell you that I am exactly the same age as Joe Biden,” he revealed.
Elsewhere, Canadian director Durga Chew-Bose received the TIFF Emerging Talent Award. She brought to TIFF her adaptation of Françoise Sagan's classic novel starring Chloë Sevigny Good morning sad for a world first.
Chew-Bose said his father died two days before he was set to start shooting his movie. “I was named after a girl in a movie, and now I've made a movie, something my father probably always knew was going to happen,” he said.
French singer-songwriter duo Camille Dalmais and Clément Ducol took to the stage at the Royal York Hotel to accept the TIFF Artisan Award for composing the soundtrack to Jacques Audiard's film Emilia PerezAnd in another touching moment, Ducol dedicated his TIFF honor to his late father, who was also a composer, for giving his son “inspiration while he was alive and tremendous strength after his passing.”
Mike Leigh was honored with his Tribute Award upon his return to TIFF with the world premiere of Hard truths“This is a special triple honor. I've lost count of the times I've been to TIFF. It's a festival with a big audience, that's why I especially like it,” Leigh said.