Spanish Epic 'La Bola Negra' Wins Top Toronto Audience Award

The Spanish film "La Bola Negra" has won the prestigious People's Choice Award at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, a result widely seen as a major boost for its Oscar aspirations. The award, announced at the festival's closing ceremony on September 20, was decided by audience votes from public screenings. Directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, collectively known as Los Javis, the film is a decades-spanning epic inspired by an unfinished play by Federico García Lorca. It follows the interconnected lives of three gay men across Spain in 1932, 1937, and 2017. The cast includes Penélope Cruz, Glenn Close, and singer-songwriter Guitarricadelafuente in his acting debut. The victory caps a significant year for the film, which premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in May, where Calvo and Ambrossi shared the Best Director prize. Netflix subsequently acquired the film and is planning a major awards campaign. It will receive a theatrical release on October 16 before debuting on the streaming service on December 2. The People's Choice Award has a strong track record as an Oscar predictor.