TIFF 2019: Meryl Streep, Joaquin Phoenix honoured with festival's inaugural Tribute Actor Award

Toronto: The Toronto International Film Festival is paying tribute to Meryl Streep, Joaquin Phoenix and filmmaker Taika Waititi in a gala Monday held amid the festival’s unspooling premieres.

With the city teeming with stars in town for the festival, TIFF this year added a star-studded fundraising dinner. Streep is being honored the same night her financial industry satire The Laundromat  is debuting. Also premiering Monday is Phoenix’s Joker , fresh off its Golden Lion win on Saturday at the Venice Film Festival. Joaquin Phoenix will be honoured by TIFF with their inaugural Tribute Actor Award.

“Displaying both raw instinct and consummate technical skill, Joaquin Phoenix is the complete actor, and one of the finest in contemporary cinema. “Over three decades, he has brought a piercing truth to each groundbreaking role. TIFF is thrilled to be celebrating an artist of his caliber with this inaugural award,” festival co-head Cameron Bailey said in a statement posted on the festival’s official website.

Waititi is receiving the festival’s Ebert Director Award, named after the late film critic Roger Ebert. Cinematographer Roger Deakins will also be given an award, as will Atlantics director Mati Diop. The French filmmaker will receive the Mary Pickford Award for an emerging, groundbreaking female talent.

The Toronto film festival runs until 15 September.

(With inputs from agencies)