The Toronto International Film Festival may not have the glamour of Cannes, the street cred of Berlin or the skiing of Sundance, but it does have one thing going for it: it’s the unofficial kickoff of Oscar season. The filmmakers who come here every September to show and sell—a full five months before the awards ceremony—are well aware that they’re already in the race to the Kodak Theatre. The early jockeying often pays off: 14 of the 36 feature films nominated for Academy Awards this year screened here (the dubious likes of TRON: Legacy and Salt, for the record, did not). Before the big tally on Sunday night, we take a look at the films that embarked on their trip to the golden boy’s antechamber right here in our backyard.
Nominated for: • Foreign language film—Mexico • Actor in a leading role—Javier Bardem
56811
Natalie Portman arrives for the gala screening of <em>Black Swan</em> during TIFF 2010 (Image: Stefania Yarhi)
Nominated for: <br /> • Film editing<br /> • Directing—Darren Aronofsky<br /> • Cinematography—Matthew Libatique<br /> • Actress in a leading role—Natalie Portman<br /> • Best picture—Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver and Scott Franklin
Nominated for: • Film editing • Directing—Darren Aronofsky • Cinematography—Matthew Libatique • Actress in a leading role—Natalie Portman • Best picture—Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver and Scott Franklin
56812
Nominated for: <br /> • Actress in a leading role—Michelle Williams
Nominated for: • Actress in a leading role—Michelle Williams
56813
Director Clint Eastwood, Bryce Dallas Howard and Matt Damon at the Elgin Theatre TIFF premiere of <em>Hereafter</em> (Image: George Pimentel/WireImage/Getty)
Nominated for: • Documentary feature—Charles Fergeson and Audrey Marrs
56817
James Franco and Danny Boyle share a joke at the Thompson Hotel during TIFF 2010 (Image: Tom Sandler)
Nominated for: <br /> • Writing (adapted screenplay)—screenplay by Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy<br /> • Music (original song)—“If I Rise” <br /> • Music (original score)—A.R. Rahman<br /> • Film editing<br /> • Actor in a leading role—James Franco<br /> • Best picture—Christian Colson, Danny Boyle and John Smithson<br />
Nominated for: • Writing (adapted screenplay)—screenplay by Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy • Music (original song)—“If I Rise” • Music (original score)—A.R. Rahman • Film editing • Actor in a leading role—James Franco • Best picture—Christian Colson, Danny Boyle and John Smithson
56818
Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart flank director John Cameron Mitchell at the TIFF screening of <em>Rabbit Hole</em> (Image: Karon Liu)
Nominated for: <br /> • Actress in a leading role—Nicole Kidman
Nominated for: • Actor in a supporting role—Jeremy Renner
56821
Colin Firth (left) and Geoffrey Rush at the TIFF premiere of <em>The King’s Speech</em> (Images: Stefania Yarhi)
Nominated for: <br /> • Writing (original screenplay)—screenplay by David Seidler<br /> • Sound mixing<br /> • Music (original score)—Alexandre Desplat<br /> • Film editing<br /> • Directing—Tom Hooper<br /> • Costume design—Jenny Beavan<br /> • Cinematography—Danny Cohen<br /> • Art direction—Eve Stewart (production design); Judy Farr (set decoration) <br /> • Actress in a supporting role—Helena Bonham Carter<br /> • Actor in a supporting role—Geoffrey Rush<br /> • Actor in a leading role—Colin Firth<br /> • Best picture—Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin
Nominated for: • Writing (original screenplay)—screenplay by David Seidler • Sound mixing • Music (original score)—Alexandre Desplat • Film editing • Directing—Tom Hooper • Costume design—Jenny Beavan • Cinematography—Danny Cohen • Art direction—Eve Stewart (production design); Judy Farr (set decoration) • Actress in a supporting role—Helena Bonham Carter • Actor in a supporting role—Geoffrey Rush • Actor in a leading role—Colin Firth • Best picture—Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin