The Toronto Film Festival offers movie goers a sample of what Hollywood has in store. (Photo : REUTERS/MARK BLINCH/FILER)
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) which winds to a close in a few days, while being one of the most prestigious film industry events offers a huge platform for viewers to gain a fuller picture of what is in store for the movie season and also offers a glimpse at some probable Oscar contenders.
While the general consensus among critiques that this year's offerings are weaker than the previous year's films, the nominations for the Academy Awards seem wide open at this point according to the New York Times which recommends the following films as those not to be missed from the TIFF list.
Heading the list is "Spotlight" a journalism docu-drama which was championed quite strongly at the festival according to the publication. The movie directed by Thomas McCarthy stars Michael Keaton and Mark Ruffalo in an engrossing take on the Boston Globe's Pulitzer Prize winning investigative story on the pedophilia scandal which plagued the Catholic Church.
A stop -motion animated film "Anomalisa" by Charlie Kaufman which was dependent on a Kickstarter campaign to get off the ground has made it to the festival without much fuss and has already been acquired by Paramount Pictures.
Director Ridley Scott's space adventure in "The Martian" has also made the list and has been heralded as an "ode to science."
A film that deals with heady emotional issues is countered in "45 years" when a couple who approach their 45th wedding anniversary are suddenly confronted with a letter from their past and the lived-in peace of their marriage is tested.
Another series which attracted TIFF attention is Netflix's first narrative series "Beast Of No Nation" which will air in October. The story centers on the child soldier drama experienced in West Africa and stars Idris Elba and Abraham Attah.
Meanwhile the Globe and Mail have also suggested the following for viewers who will head to the festival over the weekend - "A Heavy Heart," "The Witch" and "Northern Soul."
