Indian movies Homebound and In Search of The Sky win at TIFF

The first runner-up in this category is Joachim Trier-directed Sentimental Value, which had also won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival.

#Homebound honoured as the second runner-up for People’s Choice for most popular international film at @TIFF_NET #TIFF2025 pic.twitter.com/v8LqGc5b0x

— Dharma Productions (@DharmaMovies) September 14, 2025

The third award in this category was given to Homebound, which is about two young friends whose bond becomes strained as they each pursue police work in a politically divided India. The movie, featuring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, Janhvi Kapoor and Reem Shaikh, had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. All the screenings of Homebound TIFF had packed audiences and drew moving responses.

Shot in rural Madhya Pradesh and duing Maha Kumbh Mela, which was held earlier this year, In Search of The Sky (Vimukt) is a fine example of independently-made movie, which reflects cinematic excellence. The NETPAC Award jury in its statement said they selected In Search of The Sky for this honour “for offering an indelible tale of tolerance, desperation and faith, conveyed through a unique lens of realism and poetics, elevated by striking performances”.

Announcing the winner of the NETPAC Award: IN SEARCH OF THE SKY dir. Jitank Singh Gurjar #TIFF50 pic.twitter.com/LuhjmY6M4y

— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) September 14, 2025

The jury also mentioned: “The film transports the audience to rural central India, where an impoverished elderly couple contends with their cognitively challenged adult son and the villagers who threaten their existence. A beacon of hope comes in the form of the Maha Kumbh Mela, a pilgrimage to the world’s largest spiritual gathering where they seek renewal and new possibilities of life.”

The top honour in the People’s Choice Award category was presented to Hamnet, directed by Chloé Zhao. One of the most sought-after movies at TIFF and highly talked-about movies of this year, Hamnet “helms this lush and tender drama about William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his family, as seen through the eyes of his thoughtful wife Agnes (Jessie Buckley)”.

The people have spoken.

Announcing the winner of the #TIFF50 People’s Choice Award, presented by @Rogers: HAMNET dir. Chloé Zhao 🏆 pic.twitter.com/ZyNsyrMJic

— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) September 14, 2025

The first runner-up in this category is Frankenstein, a grand visual spectacle directed by Guillermo del Toro. The cast of this brilliant adaptation of Mary Shelley’s masterpiece features Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth. The second runner-up is Rian Johnson-directed Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, which has Daniel Craig reprise his role as master detective Benoit Blanc.