TIFF’s people’s choice award is one of the most reliable predictors of eventual Oscar success. In past years, winners such as Green Book and Nomadland went on to capture the best picture prize at the Academy Awards. The Fabelmans, which stars Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen and Gabriel LaBelle as Sam Fabelman, Spielberg’s screen surrogate, was enthusiastically embraced at its world premiere, where the film earned a roaring standing ovation.

The Fabelmans, co-written with Tony Kushner, marks the first time the Oscar winner debuted a movie at the Toronto Film Festival. “As I said on stage the other night, ‘Above all, I’m glad I brought this film to Toronto!’ This is the most personal film I’ve ever made, and the warm reception from everyone in Toronto made my first visit to TIFF so intimate and personal for me and my entire Fabelman family,” Spielberg said in a statement.

“Thank you to Cameron Bailey and the incredible staff at TIFF; thank you to Universal Pictures; and a very special thank you to all the movie fans in Toronto who have made this past weekend one I’ll never forget.” At this year’s festival, the first runner-up for the audience award was Sarah Polley’s drama Women Talking, while the second-runner up was Rian Johnson’s whodunnit Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.

Other high-profile films that premiered at TIFF include Viola Davis and director Gina Prince-Bythewood’s historical epic The Woman King, the Harry Styles-led romantic drama My Policeman and Billy Eichner’s romantic comedy Bros.