DARK comedy “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” has won top prize at the Toronto Film Festival.

Winning the People’s Choice Award is seen as a significant boost to the Martin McDonagh-directed film’s chances in the awards season.

The award is voted for by audiences at the 11-day event.

Previous winners include “Slumdog Millionaire,” “The King’s Speech” and “12 Years a Slave,” all of which went on to win Best Film at the Oscars.

Last year’s Toronto winner “La La Land” won several other awards including Best Film at the Baftas, but lost to “Moonlight” at this year’s Oscars.

“Three Billboards” stars Oscar-winner Frances McDormand as a bereaved mother trying to force her local police department into re-opening the investigation into her daughter’s murder.

“I, Tonya” which tells the true story of American Olympic skater Tonya Harding and her connection to an attack on her rival Nancy Kerrigan in the run up to 1994 Winter Olympic Games was the runner-up for the People’s Choice Award. Harding is played by Margot Robbie.

Relationship drama “Call Me By Your Name,” about the romance between an academic played by Armie Hammer and a graduate student played by Timothee Chalamet, came third.

More than 250 films were screened to audiences at this year’s festival. (SD-Agencies)