TORONTO (AP) 鈥� The Toronto International Film Festival is the clean-up hitter of the fall festival circuit. Coming on the heels of and Telluride, Toronto tends to pull together many of the top films from those festivals, as well as a whole bunch more.
But it鈥檚 been a few years since TIFF was quite itself. The pandemic stretched across several editions and, last year, the actors strike left Toronto鈥檚 red carpets unusually bare.
This year鈥檚 festival, running through Sept. 15, is opening Thursday with the premiere of David Gordon Green鈥檚 鈥淣utcrackers,鈥� starring Ben Stiller as a workaholic forced to care for his rural Ohio nephews.
More than most years, it鈥檚 hard to say what鈥檚 likely to stand out the most at this year鈥檚 TIFF. But with more than 200 feature films set to unspool, the festival is sure to offer up many of the fall鈥檚 top films. Here are five questions heading into North America鈥檚 largest film event.
What will pop?
Last year鈥檚 TIFF was a diminished one but it still launched a bona fide hit and eventual Oscar-winner in Not many were buzzing about that film before it debuted in Toronto 鈥� a reminder that TIFF can surprise.
This year, some of the top movies debuting in Toronto include Marielle Heller鈥檚 鈥淣ightbitch,鈥� starring Amy Adams; 鈥淗ard Truths" by the British master Mike Leigh; John Crowley's years-spanning melodrama 鈥淲e Live Inside,鈥� starring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield; the Scott Beck and Bryan Woods thriller 鈥淭he Heretic,鈥� with a diabolical Hugh Grant; cinematographer Rachel Morrison's directorial debut 鈥淭he Fire Inside"; the DreamWorks animation 鈥淭he Wild Robot鈥�; and the Anthony Robles true-life tale 鈥淯nstoppable,鈥� with Jharrel Jerome and Jennifer Lopez.
What will maintain the buzz?
Aside from the movies making a first impression in Toronto, many films will be trying to build off of their receptions in Venice, Telluride or Cannes. At this early point, the Oscar race feels wide open 鈥� particularly compared to last year, when 鈥淥ppenheimer鈥� and 鈥淏arbie鈥� were, by September, already frontrunners. Nothing has yet ascended to favorite status, though some movies 鈥� like Jacques Audiard鈥檚 trans drug lord musical and the Vatican drama 鈥淐onclave鈥� 鈥� come in with a lot of momentum.
What will sell?
Many of Toronto鈥檚 premieres are more focused on buyers than the awards race. That's partly by design. In two years, TIFF will officially launch a sales movie market, similar to the one operated during the Cannes Film Festival. This year, the many movies on offer include Ron Howard's 鈥淓den,鈥� starring Jude Law, Vanessa Kirby and ; the Stephen King adaptation 鈥淭he Life of Chuck,鈥� with Tom Hiddleston; Rebel Wilson's directorial debut 鈥淭he Deb鈥�; 鈥淭he Last Showgirl,鈥� starring Pamela Anderson; David Mackenzie's 鈥淩elay,鈥� starring Riz Ahmed; and 鈥淥n Swift Horses,鈥� with Jacob Elordi and Daisy Edgar-Jones. Studios and streamers will kick the tires on those, and many more.
What will win the People鈥檚 Choice award?
You can count on little in life as much as the predictive powers of TIFF鈥檚 People鈥檚 Choice award. While countless Oscar stats get trotted out annually, this one is virtually always true: The winner of Toronto鈥檚 top prize will be nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards. That鈥檚 been the case every year since 2012. It was true when in Toronto, and it was true last year when Because TIFF gathers together so many of the fall鈥檚 movies, and because it boasts big audiences made up not just of industry professionals but regular moviegoers, what goes over gangbusters in Toronto usually does with the academy, too.
What will show up a year later?
While the majority of Toronto鈥檚 selections will be heading to theaters or streaming services sometime in the next few months, some movies 鈥� including some very good movies 鈥� may not show up for a year or more. Azazel Jacobs鈥檚 a standout at last year鈥檚 festival, just arrived in theaters. Anna Kendrick鈥檚 directorial debut, will land on Netflix next month, more than a year after bowing at Toronto. For some of Toronto's top titles, patience may be required.
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
