Spain’s La Bola Negra, the new film from Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, has won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, adding another major international festival honour to the Spanish production.

The Spanish-language drama, known internationally as The Black Ball, was announced as the winner on Sunday, September 20, at the closing of the 51st Toronto International Film Festival.

A Major Audience Award in Toronto

TIFF’s People’s Choice Award is determined by festival audiences rather than a jury.

La Bola Negra received the top audience prize at this year’s festival. Peter Farrelly’s I Play Rocky was named first runner-up, while Siân Heder’s Being Heumann was second runner-up.

The 2026 Toronto International Film Festival took place from September 10 to 20.

A Story Spanning Three Periods of Spanish History

Directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, known in Spain as Los Javis, La Bola Negra follows the interconnected stories of three gay men across different periods of Spanish history.

The film explores sexuality, repression, desire, identity and memory, with the story moving across three different historical eras.

The Spanish Civil War is an important part of the film, but La Bola Negra is not solely a wartime drama. The story extends across different periods and connects the experiences of its characters through generations.

Inspired by Federico García Lorca

The film was inspired by an unfinished work by Spanish poet and playwright Federico García Lorca.

The project developed from the directors’ interest in Lorca’s surviving material and his life, writings and correspondence. His work and historical experiences helped shape the themes explored in the film.

Lorca was killed in 1936, at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, making his legacy an important element in the film’s historical backdrop.

Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close

Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close appear in the film as special collaborators.

The principal cast includes Guitarricadelafuente as Sebastián, Miguel Bernardeau as Rafael, Carlos González as Alberto, Milo Quifes as Carlos and Lola Dueñas as Teresa.

Cruz plays Nené, while Close plays Isabelle.

Cannes Success Came First

The Toronto award follows an earlier major festival success at Cannes.

La Bola Negra premiered in Competition at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi received the Best Director prize.

Their award was shared with Paweł Pawlikowski, director of Fatherland.

Spain’s Official Oscar Submission

The film has also been selected as Spain’s official submission for the 2027 Academy Awards.

The Spanish Film Academy announced on September 16 that La Bola Negra would represent Spain in the International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.

The Toronto audience award adds further attention to the film as the international awards season begins.

A People’s Choice Award at Toronto can attract significant attention during awards season, although winning TIFF’s audience prize does not guarantee an Oscar nomination.

Spanish Cinema in the International Spotlight

La Bola Negra’s Toronto victory gives the Spanish production another important international distinction following its success at Cannes.

With the People’s Choice Award in Toronto, the Best Director prize at Cannes and its selection as Spain’s Oscar submission, the film now heads into the next stage of its international release with considerable attention surrounding it.

The film is scheduled to reach Spanish cinemas on September 26, 2026, ahead of its wider international release.