The Toronto International Film Festival has returned, as evidenced by the closure of streets, the formation of massive lines at Downtown cinemas, and the formation of a selfie-taking line in front of a massive orange TIFF sign.
After two years of reduced service due to the coronavirus outbreak, this year’s event promises to be a celebration of films and filmmaking, as the industry attempts to put the pandemic behind it and concentrate on presenting stories to audiences, with TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey describing the diminished festivals as “two long years without the energy we love about TIFF.”
As a result, business as usual has resumed, and as numerous films receive their premiere screenings here, audience reactions are heavily scrutinized.
As studio executives, actors, and directors evaluate the impact of their work for the first time, this is where many awards campaigns truly begin.
The last five People’s Choice award winners have gone on to win Oscars: Belfast, Nomadland, Jojo Rabbit, Green Book, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
Toronto is regarded as one of the most accessible film festivals in terms of providing film enthusiasts who are not in the industry with a sneak glimpse of the most anticipated upcoming films.
With 260 feature-length films screening, we can’t identify all of the ones that will become prize winners, critical darlings, or box office hits, but here are five films that you will almost certainly hear about in the coming months.
Bros
The first homosexual romance comedy from a major studio, Bros is written, executive-produced, and starred in by Billy Eichner, and co-written and directed by Nick Stoller, whose previous work includes the feel-good film Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
TIFF presents the global premiere of a film with an almost completely LGBTQ+ cast, a momentous occasion for the LGBTQ+ community and cinema.
The Woman King
This 19th-century historical drama about an all-female military unit protecting the West African kingdom of Dahomey is portrayed by Viola Davis as a general who trains warriors to combat an enemy who seeks to destroy their way of life.
In addition to Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, and John Boyega, the film’s cast will also make its world premiere at the festival.
The Fabelmans
Steven Spielberg is the most recent director to create a semi-autobiographical picture, this time a coming-of-age story about an aspiring young filmmaker. Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, and Gabriel LaBelle play the leading roles in The Fabelmans.
Spielberg not only directs but also co-wrote this with Tony Kushner, with whom he collaborated on West Side Story. This film is not being shown at any of the other major fall film festivals and is undoubtedly the most talked-about picture in Toronto this year.
The Whale
The premiere of Darren Aronofsky’s picture about an exceedingly fat guy took place in Venice, where Brendan Fraser received a six-minute standing ovation.
While the film itself received mixed reviews, Fraser’s awards campaign appears to be well underway and will gain a boost when he accepts the Tribute Award for Performance in Toronto.
Weird: The Story of Weird Al Yankovic
Something is appealing about the concept of Daniel Radcliffe portraying parody music superstar Al Yankovic, even if it might not be one we’re discussing during awards season.
This satirical look at Weird Al’s life is certain to elicit a chuckle given Daniel Radcliffe’s penchant for undertaking entertaining or intriguing projects.
