TIFF A Barometer for the Oscars 

Toronto International Film Festival showcases over 300 films each year from around the world. Now established as one of the most important film festivals in the world, one reason for its great success is its uncanny ability, year after year, to showcase films that wind up at the top of the Oscar pile. This year, they’ve done it again, maintaining TIFF’s 34-year record as one of the most accurate indicators of success at Oscar time.

Courtesy of: TIFF

On September 7^th, 2012 Ben Affleck’s political thriller ARGO opened as a gala film at TIFF. Academy Award® winner Ben Affleck who directed and stars in the movie immediately captured the hearts of the audience. Affleck was humble and sincere at the TIFF press conference where he expressed his hopes that people would respond favorably to the film. A week later, ARGO was the runner up for the TIFF Blackberry People’s Choice Award right behind Silver Linings Playbook which may prove to be the movie of the year.

Courtesy of: TIFF

A short 6 months later, ARGO has won multiple international film awards and has 6 Oscar nominations.  Silver Linings Playbook has wracked up Audience Awards at film festivals including the most telling, the TIFF 2012  “Blackberry Peoples’ Choice Award”. The TIFF “Peoples’ Choice Award” has proven to be a remarkably good predictor when Oscar time roles around.  The King’s Speech, Slumdog Millionaire, American Beauty, and Chariots of Fire all won the TIFF Peoples Choice Award and went on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Silver Linings Playbook has8 Oscar nominations. 

Courtesy of: TIFF

Best Foreign Language Films have also been pics that came through the awards season through success at TIFF. This year all the nominees in this category where TIFF selections: “Amour”, Austria;“Kon-Tiki”, Norway; “No”, Chile; “A Royal Affair”, Denmark and “War Witch” Canada. Other TIFF films on the Oscar nominee list include ”Anna Karenina“, “The Master” (premiered at Venice International Film Festival), “The Gatekeepers” (Best Documentary Feature nominee), and Chasing Ice ”Before My Time” for Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song). 

Courtesy of TIFF

Last September we caught up with Piers Handling CEO of TIFF and asked him about the lineup of films for the upcoming festival. TIFF 2012 had some interesting changes to keep the festival fresh. There was a new emphasis on Asian and Indian film and the opening film was not a Canadian title. Instead the festival opener was the enthralling sci-fi film LOOPER starring Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon Levitt and Emily Blunt, from Director/Writer Rian Johnson. LOOPER is not on the Oscar awards list but we can see that other films that hit a high note with audiences at TIFF certainly are.

We said:

“Director/actor Ben Affleck’s Argo based on the book Argo by writer and protagonist Tony Mendez, is a sure bet for an Oscar as Best Film of the Year.” 

Everyone will have to wait for Sunday to find out. 

Moira Romano