The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has partnered with CBC to create an annual award in memory of filmmaker Charles Officer.

The new $25,000 award was announced last Thursday (Jan. 25) during TIFF’s Top Ten Industry Forum, and will be awarded at the 2025 Top Ten event.

“Officer’s unwavering dedication to storytelling and mentorship has left an indelible mark on our cinematic landscape,” said TIFF chief programming officer Anita Lee in a statement to Playback Daily.

“This new award will be presented to a writer/director whose spirit and work exemplifies Officer’s values, artistry and vision, not only paying homage to Officer’s legacy, but also ensuring a lasting impact by encouraging others to follow in his footsteps,” she continued.

The criteria will be available in the spring, with the winner to be selected by a jury.

Officer was an award-winning film and TV director based in Toronto, who died at age 48 on Dec. 1, 2023. He made his directorial feature debut in 2008 with Nurse.Fighter.Boy, followed up by films Unarmed Verses and Akilla’s Escape. His television credits include CBC’s The Porter, Coroner, and 21 Thunder.