The gala this year is part of the new TIFF Tribute Gala awards event, combining our accolade renamed the TIFF Ebert Director Award with several other honors including the TIFF Tribute Actor Awards, presented to three-time Oscar-winner Meryl Streep and three-time Oscar-nominee Joaquin Pheonix; the TIFF Variety Artisan Award to Oscar-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins; and the TIFF Special Tribute Award to legendary Canadian hitmaker David Foster. Also scheduled to be honored at the event will be Participant Media's founder and chairman Jeff Skoll and CEO David Linde, the 2019 recipients of the TIFF Impact Award. The inaugural Mary Pickford Award, given to an emerging female talent in the industry in celebration of United Artists’ 100th anniversary, will go to actress and filmmaker Mati Diop, who recently became the first black female director in competition at Cannes.

The Gala is an annual fundraiser to support TIFF’s year-round programs and core mission to transform the way people see the world through film, and to celebrate the film industry’s outstanding contributors. “Taika Waititi is one of the most innovative, bold, and exciting filmmakers working in the industry right now,” said Vicente. “TIFF is thrilled to honor his extraordinary talent with the inaugural TIFF Ebert Director Award.” According to Bailey, "the TIFF Ebert Director Award is the evolution of the organization’s former Roger Ebert Golden Thumb Award. This award celebrates a remarkable filmmaker who reflected renowned film critic Roger Ebert’s passion for cinema."

Taika Waititi at last year's TIFF Ebert Tribute to Claire Denis, entertaining his tablemates Robert Pattinson and Barry Jenkins. Photo by Shane Parent.

In Roger's three-and-a-half-star review of "Boy," he recognized Waititi's comedic chops as well as his ability to stare with a clear gaze at challenges facing young men growing up in a Maori community. After earning an Oscar nomination for his short film, "Two Cars, One Night," Waititi garnered a devoted fan-base with his witty and endearing films "What We Do in the Shadows and "Hunt for the Wilderpeople," filtering American pop culture through his inventive and distinctively New Zealand-influenced sensibility. He broke through into the American mainstream by directing and co-starring in "Thor: Ragnarok," while also making an appearance in the top-grossing film worldwide, "Avengers: Endgame." He will soon be writing and directing "Thor: Love and Thunder."