TIFF 2025: Chloé Zhao creates history as she receives her second People’s Choice Award

Zhao had first won the award in 2020 with Nomadland, a film that later went on to claim the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Filmmaker Chloé Zhao has once again made history, this time at the Toronto International Film Festival. On Sunday, she received the People’s Choice Award for her latest film Hamnet, becoming the first director to win the prestigious audience honour twice.

Zhao had first won the award in 2020 with Nomadland, a film that later went on to claim the Academy Award for Best Picture. With Hamnet, she now holds a unique record at TIFF’s 50th edition, a milestone year for the festival.

The announcement was made as part of the festival’s closing highlights, where Hamnet was revealed as the audience’s favourite. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Zhao’s film had already been showcased at Venice, Telluride, and Cannes before arriving in Toronto, and it received warm applause and glowing reviews during its Canadian premiere.

Accepting the award in a video message, Zhao shared her gratitude and spoke about her personal connection to storytelling. She recalled her childhood, saying, “When I was a child, I was often lonely. I would write stories and draw manga, and I would share them online just to read people’s comments. That connection, even with strangers, made me feel less alone, and it made life feel more meaningful.”

Hamnet is adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel and provides a fictional reimagining of William Shakespeare’s early years. The story explores his romance with Agnes, who later became his wife, as well as the grief they experienced after the loss of their young son.

The film has drawn particular praise for Jessie Buckley’s performance as Agnes, alongside Paul Mescal, who stars as Shakespeare.

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The project premiered earlier at the 52nd Telluride Film Festival and is now set for a theatrical release in the United States and Canada. Focus Features will roll out the film in a limited capacity on November 27, 2025, followed by a wider release nationwide on December 12, 2025.

The cast includes Jessie Buckley as Agnes Shakespeare, Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare, Joe Alwyn as Bartholomew Hathaway, Emily Watson as Mary Shakespeare, David Wilmot as John Shakespeare, Jacobi Jupe as Hamnet Shakespeare, Olivia Lynes as Judith Shakespeare, and Bodhi Rae Breathnach as Susanna Shakespeare.