TIFF47: Hildur Guðnadóttir and Sally El Hosaini to receive TIFF Tributes at Toronto International Film Festival

Academy Award–winning Icelandic artist and composer Hildur Guðnadóttir (Joker, TIFF 2019) and award-winning Welsh Egyptian filmmaker and screenwriter Sally El Hosaini (The Swimmers, TIFF 2022) will receive TIFF Tribute honors at the 4th Toronto International Film Festival, announced by TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey today.

Guðnadóttir will receive the Variety Artisan Award, while El Hosaini will be honored with the TIFF Emerging Talent Award presented by MGM at the annual TIFF Tribute Awards. The TIFF Tribute Awards, presented by BVLGARI, will return for their fourth year to an in-person gala fundraiser during the 47th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, September 11 at Fairmont Royal York Hotel.

“Both Hildur Guðnadóttir and Sally El Hosaini are singular artists who continue to expand the horizons of their disciplines,” said Bailey. “We’re proud to present TIFF Tribute Awards to Guðnadóttir for her remarkable score for Sarah Polley’s Women Talking, and El Hosaini for directing one of the most urgent, moving films of the year in The Swimmers.”

Guðnadóttir composed the score for Sarah Polley’s highly anticipated film Women Talking, an adaptation of Miriam Toews’ acclaimed novel set in 2010 rural America, where the women of an isolated religious community grapple with reconciling their reality with their faith, starring Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey, Ben Whishaw, and Frances McDormand. Women Talking is from MGM’s Orion Pictures and will have its International Premiere at the Festival on September 13.

The TIFF Variety Artisan Award recognizes a distinguished creative who has excelled at their craft and made an outstanding contribution to cinema and entertainment. Previous recipients of the TIFF Variety Artisan Award include Ari Wegner in 2021; Terence Blanchard in 2020; and Roger Deakins in 2019.

“Variety is honored to be presenting Hildur Guðnadóttir with our annual Artisan Award at the TIFF Tribute Awards,” said Variety co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh. “We are looking forward to returning to an in-person awards program at one of the most important festivals in the world. Highlighting Hildur’s work is a testament to Variety’s commitment to celebrating artisans.”

Writer-director El Hosaini’s The Swimmers from Netflix, which dramatizes the true story of two sisters who left their home in war-torn Syria for a new life in Europe and the chance to compete in the 2016 Summer Olympics, co-written by multi-award-winner Jack Thorne, will have its World Premiere as the Opening Night Gala Presentation on September 8.

The TIFF Emerging Talent Award presented by MGM, is presented in the spirit of Torontonian Mary Pickford, the groundbreaking actor, producer, and co-founder of United Artists, whose impact continues today. Previous recipients of the TIFF Emerging Talent Award include Danis Goulet in 2021; Tracey Deer in 2020; and Mati Diop in 2019.

“MGM is thrilled to join TIFF in honoring Sally El Hosaini with the 2022 TIFF Emerging Talent Award and championing this harrowing story,” said Chris Brearton, MGM’s Chief Operation Officer.

Guðnadóttir and El Hosaini join the recently-announced list of 2022 TIFF Tribute Award honorees, including Brendan Fraser, who will receive the TIFF Tribute Award for Performance presented by IMDbPro; Academy Award–winning filmmaker Sam Mendes, who will receive the TIFF Ebert Director Award; and the ensemble of My Policeman, who will receive the TIFF Tribute Award for Performance presented by Polestar.