Taika Waititi to receive TIFF Ebert Director Award

"Thor: Ragnarok" director Taika Waititi is set to receive the Ebert Director Award at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival. The director will also screen his anti-hate satire "Jojo Rabbit" at the festival. He stars in the film as Adolf Hitler.

The award, which honors a filmmaker for their outstanding contribution to cinema, will be handed to Waititi during the TIFF Tribute Gala awards event on Sept. 9. "Taika Waititi is the rock star cinema needs right now. His films are full of razor-sharp humour, faultless style and boundless generosity," Toronto artistic director and co-head Cameron Bailey said in a statement.

Waititi, who is returning to direct "Thor 4" and is credited with revitalizing the franchise, has also directed films such as "Boy", "What We Do in the Shadows" and "Hunt for the Wilderpeople". Acting icon Meryl Streep is set to receive the Tribute Actor Award at the festival.

The Toronto Film Festival is set to run from September 5 to 15.