Film festivals often act as the first true test for upcoming movies. Some premieres go down in history for all the wrong reasons, while others set the tone for the entire awards season.
This set of questions covers famous red carpet disasters, movies that surprisingly flopped after high expectations, and films that turned TIFF acclaim into Oscar gold. See how well you recall these behind-the-scenes moments.
If this interests you, check out our collections on international film festivals, learn more about troubled film productions, or brush up on your Oscar history.
Which festival’s People’s Choice Award is famously considered a reliable indicator for future Best Picture success at the Oscars?
Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
Which film famously went from winning the People’s Choice Award at TIFF to winning Best Picture at the Oscars?
1997’s Titanic
1997’s Titanic
2008’s Slumdog Millionaire
2008’s Slumdog Millionaire
2012’s Silver Linings Playbook
2012’s Silver Linings Playbook
2016’s La La Land
2016’s La La Land
How is the winner of the Toronto International Film Festival People’s Choice Award determined?
The film can only be a documentary.
The film can only be a documentary.
The winner is determined by audience ballot.
The winner is determined by audience ballot.
A film that wins the People’s Choice Award must be directed by a female.
A film that wins the People’s Choice Award must be directed by a female.
The film must have a budget under 10 million dollars.
The film must have a budget under 10 million dollars.
Which notorious 1980 Western, directed by Michael Cimino, is legendary for its disastrous premiere and subsequent studio bankruptcy?
Waterworld
Waterworld
The Postman
The Postman
Ishtar
Ishtar
Heaven’s Gate
Heaven’s Gate
Which high-profile 2001 romantic comedy, starring Warren Beatty and Diane Keaton, suffered a catastrophic premiere and is cited as one of the biggest flops in history?
Town & Country
Town & Country
The Adventures of Pluto Nash
The Adventures of Pluto Nash
Lost at Sea
Lost at Sea
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever
What occurred during the 2002 premiere of Gaspar Noé’s ‘Irreversible’ at the Cannes Film Festival?
Audience members stood up and exited due to the film’s intense, graphic nudity.
Audience members stood up and exited due to the film’s intense, graphic nudity.
The film’s projector malfunctioned, causing a sudden end to the screening.
The film’s projector malfunctioned, causing a sudden end to the screening.
The audience walked out because the film’s runtime exceeded six hours.
The audience walked out because the film’s runtime exceeded six hours.
The audience was offended by historical inaccuracies and walked out in protest.
The audience was offended by historical inaccuracies and walked out in protest.
Which landmark 1960 Italian film was famously booed and caused audience walkouts at its Cannes premiere due to its unconventional narrative?
Blow-Up
Blow-Up
L’Avventura
L’Avventura
La Dolce Vita
La Dolce Vita
8½
8½
Why did audiences reportedly struggle with the 1960 premiere of ‘L’Avventura’?
It was a documentary about a controversial political figure.
It was a documentary about a controversial political figure.
It was too short, under 60 minutes.
It was too short, under 60 minutes.
It was a silent film presented in the era of talkies.
It was a silent film presented in the era of talkies.
It was too avant-garde and abstract for a mainstream crowd.
It was too avant-garde and abstract for a mainstream crowd.
Which film won the People’s Choice Award at TIFF 2018 before winning Best Picture, proving the predictor’s continued relevance?
Nomadland
Nomadland
Green Book
Green Book
12 Years a Slave
12 Years a Slave
La La Land
La La Land
What was a common factor contributing to the disastrous premiere of 1995’s ‘Waterworld’?
Studio executives pulled the film from release entirely.
Studio executives pulled the film from release entirely.
Budget ballooned significantly past original estimates.
Budget ballooned significantly past original estimates.
The film was banned in its home country.
The film was banned in its home country.
Famous lead actor walked off set midway through production.
Famous lead actor walked off set midway through production.
Which factor is most commonly cited for the audience walkouts during the 1973 premiere of ‘The Exorcist’?
The audience was distracted by technical projection failures.
The audience was distracted by technical projection failures.
The film depicted the assassination of a real-life political figure.
The film depicted the assassination of a real-life political figure.
It was set during the wrong historical period.
It was set during the wrong historical period.
The film featured an excessively shocking or disturbing climactic scene.
The film featured an excessively shocking or disturbing climactic scene.
In which decade did the infamous Toronto International Film Festival originate, eventually spawning the People’s Choice Award?
1990s
1990s
1980s
1980s
2000s
2000s
1970s
1970s
Which situation often exacerbates a film’s status as a ‘flop’ beyond just bad box office numbers?
Production delays caused it to miss the holiday release window.
Production delays caused it to miss the holiday release window.
The director’s cut was lost in a fire.
The director’s cut was lost in a fire.
The lead actors refused to promote the film.
The lead actors refused to promote the film.
The studio had no faith in the project and dumped it without press.
The studio had no faith in the project and dumped it without press.
Which film’s 2004 premiere saw reports of audience members suffering from physical distress or fainting, leading to a massive wave of publicity?
Basic Instinct
Basic Instinct
The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ
Crash
Crash
The Exorcist
The Exorcist
What was a primary concern raised by critics regarding the 1989 release of ‘Do the Right Thing’?
The film was criticized for being too long.
The film was criticized for being too long.
The director publicly fought with the studio head during the premiere.
The director publicly fought with the studio head during the premiere.
The sound system caused physical pain to those in the theater.
The sound system caused physical pain to those in the theater.
The potential for the film to incite racial violence.
The potential for the film to incite racial violence.
What logistical issue has occasionally prevented a TIFF People’s Choice Award winner from being a strong contender for the Academy Awards?
The film received poor reviews from international critics.
The film received poor reviews from international critics.
The film did not secure a wide theatrical distribution.
The film did not secure a wide theatrical distribution.
The audience ignored the ballots entirely.
The audience ignored the ballots entirely.
The film was a foreign language production.
The film was a foreign language production.
Following the success of ‘Waterworld’, which 1995 pirate adventure film is widely cited as the flop that finalized the end of the big-budget pirate genre for many years?
Cutthroat Island
Cutthroat Island
Mortal Thoughts
Mortal Thoughts
The Island of Dr. Moreau
The Island of Dr. Moreau
Hudson Hawk
Hudson Hawk
What notable controversial event involved an actor at the 2014 Berlin Film Festival premiere of Lars von Trier’s ‘Nymphomaniac’?
The director publicly denounced the film’s artistic merits.
The director publicly denounced the film’s artistic merits.
The lead actress refused to attend the screening.
The lead actress refused to attend the screening.
A co-star walked out of the press conference wearing a paper bag.
A co-star walked out of the press conference wearing a paper bag.
The film’s musical score was accidentally played backwards.
The film’s musical score was accidentally played backwards.
Which 2013 film won the TIFF People’s Choice Award and went on to win Best Picture at the Oscars?
Silver Linings Playbook
Silver Linings Playbook
The Imitation Game
The Imitation Game
12 Years a Slave
12 Years a Slave
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
What is a common criticism leveled against using the People’s Choice Award as an Oscar predictor?
It relies on a small sample size of voters.
It relies on a small sample size of voters.
It is overly influenced by local Canadian film critics.
It is overly influenced by local Canadian film critics.
It is only given to non-English language films.
It is only given to non-English language films.
It is limited only to films with a PG-13 rating.
It is limited only to films with a PG-13 rating.
Which of these represents a fundamental strategic marketing failure that often leads to a film flopping at the box office?
The studio failed to market to the target demographic.
The studio failed to market to the target demographic.
Major stars of the film refused to do any press in their home country.
Major stars of the film refused to do any press in their home country.
The film was leaked online two months before its release.
The film was leaked online two months before its release.
The director was fired by the studio one week before the premiere.
The director was fired by the studio one week before the premiere.
What major factor contributed to the poor box office performance of the 1990 film ‘The Last of the Finest’?
It was the first film to use computer-generated imagery for the entire runtime.
It was the first film to use computer-generated imagery for the entire runtime.
It featured a controversial cameo by a major celebrity.
It featured a controversial cameo by a major celebrity.
Orion Pictures released it in limited theaters with almost no publicity.
Orion Pictures released it in limited theaters with almost no publicity.
The film’s premise was deemed too similar to a hit show aired the same month.
The film’s premise was deemed too similar to a hit show aired the same month.
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