TIFF48: Colman Domingo to Receive Toronto Film Festival Tribute Performer Award

Cameron Bailey, CEO of TIFF, announced Monday that award-winning actor Colman Domingo will receive the TIFF Tribute Performer Award. This Award recognizes an overall body of exceptional work, and is one of seven awards being handed out at the fifth annual TIFF Tribute Awards gala, presented by Bulgari on Sunday, September 10, at Fairmont Royal York Hotel. The 48th Toronto International Film Festival runs September 7-17, 2023.

A prolific actor of the screen and the stage, Domingo’s career spans over 30 years. Domingo will next be seen in Greg Kwedar’s Sing Sing premiering at the Festival. Past recipients honored in the acting category were Brendan Fraser and the ensemble cast of My Policeman in 2022; Jessica Chastain and Benedict Cumberbatch in 2021; Kate Winslet and Sir Anthony Hopkins in 2020; and Meryl Streep and Joaquin Phoenix in 2019.

Sing Sing is about a theatre troupe that finds escape from the realities of incarceration through the creativity of putting on a play. Based on the real-life arts rehabilitation program founded at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, the film is being distributed in Canada by Elevation Pictures.

Rustin chronicles the story of legendary gay civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, the architect behind the historical March on Washington on August 28, 1963. An advisor and close friend to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rustin had a difficult time convincing the reluctant group of leaders that he could organize what would be one of the largest political rallies in American history. While pushing ahead, he’s reinvigorated by a burgeoning relationship. Afraid that his gay identity will harm the movement, members of the coalition start to take issue with Rustin being the face of the march and, wary of sparking a media scandal, he becomes torn between the needs of the cause and his personal life.

“Colman Domingo’s performances are a masterclass in the art of storytelling,” said Bailey. “Domingo’s presence, on stage and on screen, is a gift to audiences, and his work continues to resonate, leaving an indelible impact. He is a true visionary in the world of performance, and we’re excited to honour him this year.”

Domingo joins the recently announced 2023 TIFF Tribute Award honorees Andy Lau, recipient of the Special Tribute Award; Carolina Markowicz, recipient of the TIFF Emerging Talent Award presented by MGM Studios; Łukasz Żal, recipient of the TIFF Variety Artisan Award; Shawn Levy, recipient of the Norman Jewison Career Achievement Award presented by The Budman Family; Pedro Almodóvar, recipient of the Jeff Skoll Award in Impact Media presented by Participant; and Spike Lee, recipient of the TIFF Ebert Director Award. Once again, the TIFF Tribute Awards honour the film industry’s outstanding contributors and their achievements, recognizing leading industry members, acting talent, directorial expertise, new talent, and a below-the-line artist and creator.

The Tribute Awards gala is TIFF’s largest annual fundraiser, having raised $1.3 million in 2022, and is presented by Bulgari, sharing their commitment to arts and culture along with TIFF. This year, the Tribute Awards gala will support the Viola Desmond Cinema campaign, which was launched through the Every Story Fund in 2022.