Nazi satire 'Jojo Rabbit' wins TIFF's Oscar-bellwether award

The film Jojo Rabbit is a satirical tale about a young boy in Nazi Germany who wants to fit in with the Hitler Youth but eventually grows disillusioned by genocidal fascism.

Starring Scarlett Johannson, Sam Rockwell and Rebel Wilson, the film on Sunday (September 15) won the Toronto Film Festival's Grolsch People's Choice Award.

Selected by audience votes, that prize is widely seen as a leading indicator for a best picture award at the Oscars.

The film's director, New Zealander Taika Waititi, last week accepted the festival's Ebert Director Award.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR TAIKA WAITITI, SAYING:

"This is a huge honour and I really am, for me I was, I've been thinking about what to say all day and I come from New Zealand where we really don't like attention, we don't like compliments, it's very uncomfortable for us."

In the film, Waititi plays the role of an imaginary Hitler and friend to the protagonist.

In the past 20 years, the Grolsch People's Choice Award winner has gone on to win the Oscar for best picture five times: "Green Book" last year, "12 Years a Slave," "The King's Speech," "Slumdog Millionaire" and "American Beauty."