‘Jojo Rabbit’ wins Toronto’s sought-after audience award

NEW YORK (AP) — Taika Waititi’s Nazi Germany-set satire “Jojo Rabbit” has won the People’s Choice award at the Toronto International Film Festival, a prize that has historically been one of the most ironclad predicators of Academy Awards chances.

Since so many of the top fall movies play in Toronto, the festival’s audience award is nearly prophetic. For more than a decade, every People’s Choice winner has gone on to score a best-picture Oscar nomination. Last year’s winner, “Green Book,” won best picture.

“Jojo Rabbit” is a coming-of-age comedy about a 10-year-old boy growing up in World War II Germany. His imaginary friend is Adolf Hitler, played by Waititi. The film earned mixed reviews in Toronto but was cheered by audiences.

The runners up were Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story” and Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite.”