Toronto Oscars Wrap-Up, Plus TIFF Audience Awards Predictions

The Oscars race is wide open this year, and so is the question of which film will win the coveted TIFF Audience Award.

With A-listers like Selena Gomez and Angelina Jolie and breakout stars like Mikey Madison and Gabriel LaBelle, the 49th annual Toronto International Film Festival concludes on Sunday after screening 278 films over its 10-day run. Following Pedro Almodóvar’s stunning melodrama, “The Room Next Door,” taking the Golden Lion at Venice, attention shifts to the Canadian festival to see which film will get a significant boost in the early days of the best picture race.

While some films here scream awards potential, others are destined only for commercial success, while others are just blips in the massive lineup. Below are potential awards contenders from other films screened at the festival and Variety’s predictions on which film will win the TIFF Audience Award on Sunday, Sept. 15.

Read: You can see all Academy Award predictions in all 23 categories on one page on the Variety Awards Circuit: Oscars.

“The Wild Robot” launches DreamWorks Animation’s 30th anniversary and a best picture campaign.

Chris Sanders’ animated sci-fi adventure, “The Wild Robot,” is already hailed as one of the best films in DreamWorks Animation’s 30-year history. Featuring a stellar voice cast — Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine O’Hara and Bill Nighy — the film will hopefully reignite discussions about the SAG Awards eligibility for animated films competing in the best cast ensemble category.

Historically, only three animated films — “Beauty and the Beast,” “Up” and “Toy Story 3” — have ever been nominated for best picture, all Disney titles. Recent acclaimed animated films like Netflix’s “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” and Sony’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” fell short of best picture nods. Yet, “The Wild Robot” could shift that dynamic, especially in adapted screenplay and the technical categories like score and original song. Composer Kris Bowers, fresh off an Oscar win for the live action short “The Last Repair Shop” (2023), delivers his best work. The film’s standout original song, “Kiss the Sky,” may also capture the attention of the Music Branch.

Fernanda Torres could make history with “I’m Still Here.”

Brazilian legend Fernanda Montenegro was the first Latina nominated for best actress for “Central Station” (1998). Now, her daughter, Fernanda Torres, has a shot at making history herself with her powerful performance in Walter Salles’ political drama, “I’m Still Here.” If nominated, she would be the first second-generation Latina acting nominee in Oscars history. Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, Torres’ dedicated turn of a woman relentlessly searching for a husband after being taken by a corrupt government, the film is poised to be a contender in the international feature race. At the same time, Torres seeks to break into the competitive best actress category.

Notably, Montenegro appears in the film as an older version of her daughter’s character. Without speaking a word, the 94-year-old delivers a heart-wrenching performance using only her expressive eyes. Won’t it be amazing if she made history as the first Latina to receive a second Oscar nomination? (Yes, a grotesque statistic.)

Latvia’s “Flow” is a silent animated movie that can also vie for best international feature.

Last year, Pablo Berger’s dialogue-free “Robot Dreams” made a surprise appearance at the Oscars, and this year, another silent animated feature is gaining traction: Gints Zilbalodis’ “Flow.” The whimsical and heartwarming film, about a cat surviving a post-apocalyptic flood, is Latvia’s official submission for best international feature, which could place it in the range of landing into both categories. Janus Films and Sideshow acquired it after its success at the Annecy Film Festival, and it’s quickly picking up momentum.

Alfonso Cuarón’s “Disclaimer” sets its sights on Emmys 2025.

While “Disclaimer” isn’t a film, it’s generated plenty of buzz at TIFF after debuting at Venice and Telluride. Alfonso Cuarón’s psychological thriller miniseries starring Cate Blanchett, about a journalist who discovers she’s a character in someone else’s novel, premieres on Apple TV+ on Oct. 11. Early reactions suggest it’s already staking a claim for next year’s Emmys. Let’s get through this weekend’s ceremony first.

Barry Keoghan and Nykiya Adams take flight with “Bird.”

Andrea Arnold’s “Bird” stars Oscar nominee Barry Keoghan (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) as a father grappling with his responsibilities, alongside Franz Rogowski and newcomer Nykiya Adams. Though the film may be too niche for significant Oscar recognition, it’s a likely contender at the Indie Spirit Awards. Mubi, the distributor, hopes the movie picks up steam as it progresses through the festival circuit. I think with a famed DP like Robbie Ryan behind the camera, best cinematography could be a spot where the film can find some ground.

Jamie Lee Curtis steals the show in “The Last Showgirl.”

Fresh off her Emmy win for FX’s “The Bear,” Academy Award winner Jamie Lee Curtis (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) retakes the spotlight for her remarkable turn in Gia Coppola’s drama “The Last Showgirl.” Curtis plays Annette, a bold cocktail waitress, in a scene-stealing moment involving a dance to “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” which mimics the dramatic equivalent of Matthew McConaughey in “Magic Mike.”

The film, which also stars Pamela Anderson, Dave Bautista and Billie Lourd, has yet to find a distributor but is expected to land one. It will likely come with a 2025 release date.

Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh have beautiful awards chemistry in “We Live in Time.”

Two gorgeous actors in love for two hours? Sign us up.

Directed by John Crowley (“Brooklyn”), “We Live in Time” is a tear-jerker starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh as star-crossed lovers as one of them battles cancer. While romantic dramas like “The Notebook” and “A Walk to Remember” rarely fare well at the Oscars, Garfield and Pugh’s magnetic chemistry and previous Oscar nominations could be the film’s best shot at recognition. A24 is betting on the duo’s star power to make this a box-office hit, which looks all but assured, considering the reaction from the crowd to their sex scenes.

Which movies could win/will win the coveted TIFF People’s Choice Award?

Since the Oscars expanded the best picture field in 2009, TIFF Audience Award winners have become reliable indicators of Oscar success. Films like “Green Book” (2018) and “Nomadland” (2020) went on to win best picture. Only one TIFF winner has failed to receive a nomination for best picture, “Where Do We Go Now?” (2011), and one that didn’t win at least one Oscar statuette, “The Fabelmans” (2022).

So, which film will take home the TIFF People’s Choice Award this year? The winner often comes down to three factors: the number of screenings, audience size and the timing of showings.

The festival’s most buzzed-about contenders are Palme d’Or winner “Anora” (Neon), Netflix’s musical sensation “Emilia Pérez” and the body horror thriller “The Substance” (Mubi). Jason Reitman’s crowd-pleasing “Saturday Night” also generated buzz for its mainstream appeal, but it premiered on Tuesday at the festival, which doesn’t allow attendees much time to see it. The same goes for Malcolm Washington’s directorial debut, “The Piano Lesson,” with John David Washington and Danielle Deadwyler.

There are vocal Almodovar admirers, but how many are passionate about his latest offering, “The Room Next Door,” with Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, is unclear.

Even though it is receiving a huge amount of acclaim, Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist,” which was acquired by A24, may be at a disadvantage with its massive 215-minute runtime and few public screenings.

Not many world premieres are viable for the coveted prize: “The Wild Robot” from DreamWorks Animation and Rachel Morrison’s “The Fire Inside” (Amazon MGM); both films received glowing reviews and have broad audience appeal. Also in the mix is “Unstoppable,” directed by Oscar-winning editor William Goldenberg (“Argo”), which has been picking up solid praise.

TIFF’s People’s Choice Award could shake up the Oscar race. Below are the top 10 rankings for which movies could take the title.