TORONTO - An epic cinematic adaptation of Jack London's novel “Martin Eden” has won the Toronto International Film Festival's Platform Prize.

Italian director Pietro Marcello's film picked up the $20,000 jury award for its story of a sailor who is trying to reinvent himself as a writer.

The production is the first to be awarded under TIFF's new jury composition, which used to be only made up of filmmakers but now includes a more diverse range of voices from the entertainment industry.

The Platform jury included movie director Athina Rachel Tsangari, Hollywood trade publication Variety's international film critic Jessica Kiang and Carlo Chatrian, the newly appointed artistic director of the Berlin Film Festival.

Honourable mention was given to Toronto-raised filmmaker Kazik Radwanski's “Anne at 13,000 ft,” about a socially awkward young woman navigating her career and dating life.

French director Alice Winocour's “Proxima,” about a mother trying to balance raising her daughter with physical training for a space mission, also received an honourable mention.

The FIPRESCI Prize, an award given by the International Federation of Film Critics for TIFF's Discovery program, went to Saint John, N.B.-raised filmmaker Heather Young for “Murmur,” about a woman who becomes obsessed with pet adoption after being order to perform community service for a DUI.

The FIPRESCI Prize for the Special Presentations program went to London-based director Coky Giedroyc for “How to Build a Girl.”