9/11/2009

in

Toronto International Film Festival marks an unofficial start to the fall movie season and the starting line for the Oscar race

Shanece Taylor

The 34th Toronto International Film Festival marks an unofficial start to the fall movie season and the starting line for the Oscar race.  
  
The New York Daily News reports the festival as the rising competitive movie event for launching Academy Award campaigns. It helps studios maintain the buzz surrounding a movie from now until awards season.  
  
The formula worked for the 2007 favorite at the Toronto International Film Festival, "Juno," which was nominated for four Oscar categories including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. And it worked for the 2008 favorite "Slumdog Millionaire," which dominated at the Oscars, winning eight categories including Best Picture.  
  
USA Today predicts the ten must-sees among the 273 features at the 34th Toronto International Film Festival: "Antichrist," "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans," "Bright Star," "Capitalism: A Love Story," "The Damned United," "An Education," "The Informant!," "Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire," "A Serious Man" and "The Young Victoria."  
  
Sources: [USA Today](http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2009-09-09-toronto-fest-preview_N.htm), [The New York Daily News](http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/2009/09/11/2009-09-11_the_big_picture_at_the_toronto_film_festival_oscar_buzz_begins_.html)