Counting the Stars

The sound of shrieking fans explode from every direction, flashes from photographers’ cameras light up the red carpets, and celebrities storm the streets of Toronto’s downtown core. This was the scene at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, which ran from Sept. 9 to 19.

The festival kicked off in 1976 as the “Festival of Festivals.” The initial premise was to collect the best films from other film festivals around the world and show them to audiences in Toronto — and that first year turned out to be a huge success. Approximately 35,000 eager film enthusiasts came to watch 127 films from 30 countries around the world.

As the festival grew, they gradually added new initiatives, while continuing their commitment to educate, broaden the views of audiences and add cultural richness to the Canadian community.

In 1995 it was renamed the Toronto International Film Festival. Over its 35-year history TIFF has screened close to 10,000 movies and become one of the most important and respected film institutions in the world.

The secret to its success lies in its unique combination of both local and international films. The festival has managed to become the platform for both big Hollywood films and art house cinema around the world.

In doing so, audiences have had the opportunity to be exposed to remarkable stories and characters. Some virtually unknown movies that premiered at the festival received rave reviews and ultimately launched the careers of the films’ directors and actors.

While not all films premiered at the festival have gone on to win awards and break box office records, the reception the films garner help determine upcoming Oscar contenders.

Movies that have either premiered or played at TIFF and gone on to win or be nominated for awards are The Princess Bride, Chariots of Fire, and more recently, No Country for Old Men, Capote, Precious, Slumdog Millionaire, Ray and Juno. The festival has also put documentaries such as Roger & Me on the map.

And TIFF did not disappoint this year. The amount of high-calibre films shown during the 11-day cinematic marathon surpassed any expectations.

The festival featured an excellent mix of commercial and independent films — screening around 300 movies and documentaries — and brought numerous celebrities to the premieres of their movies.

Toronto saw the likes of Nicole Kidman, Ryan Reynolds, Michael C. Hall, Natalie Portman, Ben Affleck, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem and Robert Redford, who walked the red carpet at Roy Thomson Hall, Ryerson Theatre and the Royal Alexandra Theatre.

This year, there were some big contenders for next February’s Academy Awards. Below are films that have generated Oscar buzz sincez showing at the festival:

Black Swan is directed by Darren Aronofsky and it garnered a fair share of hype at this year’s TIFF. A future best director nomination for this ballet-themed psychological thriller, starring Natalie Portman, may not be too far from reality for this visionary director.

One of the critics’ picks for a potential best supporting actor nod is Geoffrey Rush, for his shining role as a speech therapist for a stammering George VI (Colin Firth) in The King’s Speech. This truly heart-warming film will get anyone rooting for Firth and Rush come awards season.

Also this year, TIFF packed on the drama with heavy films like Buried, Rabbit Hole, The Town, Barney’s Version and Blue Valentine. They’ve all merited whispers of Oscar nods for best actor and actress for the likes of Canadians Ryan Gosling and Sandra Oh, as well as Jeremy Renner and Paul Giamatti.   

Meanwhile, James Franco is also garnering critical acclaim for his role as real-life mountain climber Aron Ralston in the heart-pounding story 127 Hours — this may be the winner for Best Picture. As with his 1996 hit Trainspotting, director Danny Boyle is sure to pick up a slew of awards for 127 Hours into next year.

PHOTO CREDITS

Rabbit Hole photo by JoJo Whilden

Buried photo courtesy of Lionsgate