A Look at Toronto Film Fest '13

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Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Thursday, 12 September 2013 16:36

Written by Eric Lurio

When Hollywood wants to reveal to the world the yearly Oscar contenders, it turns to The Toronto Film Festival -- the so-called “festival of festivals” -- for its showcase. Returning for its 36th edition, the sprawling festival runs from September 5th to the 15th, 2013. Imagine: nearly 400 films from 70 countries around the world, an army of volunteers, and 28 screens spread throughout the city. TIFF is, in a word, Huge.

This is the biggest thing to happen to this Canadian city all year (not counting the time when Mayor Ford allegedly smoked crystal meth), and quite a few in the metro area work a couple of weeks in the hot Northern sun so they can take their summer break in the dark on the latter side of Labor Day.

So as to what’s in the Oscar-bait category, check out the Fall Previews in the current USA Today or Entertainment Weekly. All the major films, except for a few reserved for the NY Film Festival are going to show up here.

Here’s a few examples with a short description:

Gravity. Drected by Alfonso Cuarón
From acclaimed Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men, Y Tu Mamá También), this film features George Clooney and Sandra Bullock getting lost in space with barely a tether to save them.

Parkland. Directed by Emilio Estevez
Charlie Sheen’s older brother made a film about RFK getting shot. This drama looks at the lives of the people who were on duty at Parkland Hospital in Dallas the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated starring Zac Efron among others.

Tracks. Directed by John Curran
Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland, The Kids Are All Right) stars in the true story of Robyn Davidson, who in 1977 set out on a solo journey by foot across the entire Australian Outback accompanied only by her dog and four camels.

12 Years A Slave. Directed by Steve McQueen
This Steve (the other one) McQueen (Hunger, Shame) directs Chiwetel Ejiofor as a real-life free Black kidnapped in 1841 and sold into slavery in Louisiana. Benedict Cumberbatch co-stars as the plantation owner who buys him, with Michael Fassbender as the evil owner he is further sold to. Also starring Brad Pitt, Michael Kenneth Williams and Alfre Woodard.  

The Double. Directed by Richard Ayoade
Ayoade adapts Fyodor Dostoevsky's almost classic novel into a modern allegory about workplace alienation. Jesse Eisenberg stars as a schlub who starts to question his sanity when asked to work side-by-side with his doppelganger.

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. Directed by Justin Chadwick
Idris Elba is in top form as Nelson Mandela in this biopic of South Africa's first democratically elected president when he was young and good looking.

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