The Rogers Best Canadian Film Award is presented annually by the Toronto Film Critics Association to the film judged by the organization's members as the year's best Canadian film.[1] In 2012, the cash prize accompanying the award was increased to $100,000, making it the largest arts award in Canada. Each year, two runners-up also receive $5,000. The award is funded and presented by Rogers Communications, which is a founding sponsor of the association's awards gala.[2][3]
In 2023, the TFCA announced changes to the award. Instead of a single $100,000 prize presented to a mixed shortlist of narrative and documentary films, the organization will now present two $50,000 prizes, one for narrative features and one for documentaries.[4]
Unlike the other Toronto Film Critics Association awards, whose winners are announced in early January each year, the Best Canadian Film award only has its finalists announced at that time, and the winner of the award is then announced at the organization's gala in March.
Toronto Film Critics Poll
Prior to the official launch of the Toronto Film Critics Association in 1997, film critic Wyndham Wise coordinated two polls of Torontonian film critics in 1995 and 1996 through his magazine Take One to select the year's best Canadian films; upon the launch of the TFCA, this poll was discontinued and superseded by the TFCA's annual awards.
^"Toronto critics pick Magnolia as best film of 1999 Yet-unreleased second picture from director of Boogie Nights follows linked stories of characters in San Fernando Valley". The Globe and Mail, December 17, 1999.
^Peter Howell, "Toronto critics like Lee ; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon named top movie". Toronto Star, December 21, 2000.
^"Memento named best picture". Calgary Herald, December 20, 2001.
^"Toronto critics pick Adaptation as top film". Ottawa Citizen, December 20, 2002.
^"Coppola's Lost in Translation honoured by Toronto critics". Waterloo Region Record, December 18, 2003.
^"Sideways named best film of 2004 by Toronto critics". Sault Star, December 17, 2004.
^"Cronenberg's History of Violence tops T.O. critics' best-of list". Sudbury Star, December 22, 2005.
^Lee-Anne Goodman, "'The Queen' named best picture by Toronto's film critics". Canadian Press, December 20, 2006.
^Bruce Kirkland, "Old Men No. 1; Coen Brothers flick tops T.O. film critics' 2007 list". Toronto Sun, December 19, 2007.
^Liam Lacey, "Maddin film wins $10,000 Toronto critics' award". The Globe and Mail, January 7, 2009.
^Chris Knight, "Toronto critics pick Wendy and Lucy". Windsor Star, December 17, 2008.
^Melissa Leong, "'Most ... would consider the subject untouchable'; Polytechnique, J'ai tue ma mere nab TFCA awards". National Post, January 13, 2010.
^Jim Slotek, "Toronto film critics beg to differ". Toronto Sun, December 16, 2009.
^"Three filmmakers opt to share $110,000 prize: Toronto trio will pool, divide the money awarded to them by local critics' association". Toronto Star, January 15, 2017.
