The 2015 Toronto International Film Festival marked the 40th anniversary of the mammoth festival of festivals. It is not uncommon for many of the films that grace TIFF to wind up at the Academy Awards the following February. Best picture winners No Country For Old Men (2007), Slumdog Millionaire (2008), The Hurt Locker (2009), The King’s Speech (2010), The Artist (2011), Argo (2012), and 12 Years A Slave (2013) were all shown at TIFF. Countless other films launched at TIFF have gone on to snag awards in many (if not all) of the categories at the Academy Awards, such as Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything (2014, Best Actor) and Julianne Moore in Still Alice (2014, Best Actress). The numbers support that many of the films honoured with a World or North American premiere at TIFF in September are some of the best films of that calendar year, and potentially some of the best films of all time.
TIFF 2015 boasted a wide variety of narratives; documentaries, dramas, comedies, horror, action… and genre benders alike. Watch exclusive interviews with the cast and crew behind our top TIFF picks of 2015 below, and if you’re really hungry for film, watch our entire TIFF 2015 playlist!
The Martian
Directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain, this creative interpretation of the best-selling novel of the same name written by Andy Weir is a sure bet for the 2016 Oscars. Stunning visuals and a unique story make this a favourite of critis and popular opinion.
Demolition
Jake Gyllenhaal is undoubtedly one of the most versatile actors of his generation. With strong momentum from the critical successes of Nightcrawler (2014), Prisoners (2013), and Enemy (2013), we foresee the pendulum continuing to swing in his favour for quite some time. Demolition (2015), directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, may be the title that pushes this director and actor duo from Oscar nominees to winners.
Beasts of No Nation
A compelling geopolitical drama, Beasts of No Nation (2015) marks the beginning of a new chapter in film history. Netflix could not have picked a stronger film to lead their entry into original film production. Director Cary Fukunaga broke out onto the scene with several short films and earned status early in his career with his popular adaptation of Jane Eyre (2011).
The Danish Girl
Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne tackles another dramatic and transformative role in The Danish Girl (2015) directed by Tom Hooper. Tom Hooper is no stranger to the stage at the Academy Awards, having won Best Director for The King’s Speech (2010) just four years ago. Alicia Vikander is a strong candidate for a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role of Gerda.
Watch all of our TIFF 2015 coverage below!