Toronto Oscars Wrap-Up, Plus TIFF Audience Awards Predictions

The Oscar race is wide open this year, and so is the question of which film will win the prestigious Audience Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.

With A-listers like Selena Gomez and Angelina Jolie and big names like Mikey Madison and Gabrielle Labelle, the 49th annual Toronto International Film Festival closes on Sunday after screening 278 films over 10 days. After Pedro Almodóvar’s stunning drama “The Room Next Door” took home the Golden Lion in Venice, attention turns to the Canadian festival to see which film will get the biggest boost in the opening days of the best picture race.

While some of the films here scream award-winning potential, others are destined for commercial success, while others are just blips in a huge slate. Here are potential award contenders from other films that screened at the festival: Varieties Predictions about which film will win the Audience Award at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, September 15.

ReadsYou can see all the Oscar predictions in all 23 categories on one page at: diverse Awards Circle: Oscars.

“Wild Robot” kicks off DreamWorks Animation's 30th anniversary celebrations and Best Picture campaign.

Chris Sanders' animated sci-fi film “The Wild Robot” is already considered one of the best films in DreamWorks Animation's 30-year history. The film features a great voice cast – Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine O'Hara, and Bill Nighy – and we hope the film ignites again. Discussions about the eligibility of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards for animated films competing in the Best Ensemble Cast category.

Historically, only three animated films — “Beauty and the Beast,” “Up” and “Toy Story 3” — have been nominated for best picture, all of them Disney productions. Recent critically acclaimed animated films like Netflix’s “Pinocchio” and Sony’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” have failed to score best picture nominations. “Wild Robot,” however, could change that dynamic, especially in adapted screenplay and technical categories like soundtrack and original song. Composer Chris Powers, who just won an Oscar for the short film “The Last Repair Shop” (2023), is bringing his best work. The film’s standout original song, “Kiss the Sky,” could also grab the music department’s attention.

Fernanda Torres could make history with her song “I'm Still Here.””

Brazilian legend Fernanda Montenegro was the first Latina nominated for Best Actress for her role in Central Station (1998). Now her daughter Fernanda Torres has a chance to make 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 ever nominated for an Oscar. The Sony Pictures Classics-distributed film, in which Fernanda plays a woman desperately searching for a husband after being kidnapped by a corrupt government, is set to compete in the international feature film race. Meanwhile, Fernanda Torres is aiming to break into the competitive Best Actress category.

It’s worth noting that Montenegro appears in the film as an older version of her daughter’s character. Without saying a word, the 94-year-old delivers a moving performance using only her expressive eyes. Wouldn’t it be amazing if she made history as the first Latina to receive a second Oscar nomination? (Yes, it’s a weird statistic.)

Latvia's “Flow” is a silent animated film that could also compete for Best International Film.

Last year, Pablo Berger’s dialogue-free “Robot Dreams” made a surprise appearance at the Oscars, and this year, another silent animated film is gaining momentum: Gints Zelbaludis’ “Flow.” The moving fantasy about a cat surviving a post-apocalyptic flood is Latvia’s official entry for best international film, which could put it in the running for both categories. Acquired by Janus Films and Sideshow after its success at the Annecy Film Festival, it is quickly gaining momentum.

Alfonso Cuarón's 'Disclaimer' Headed to 2025 Emmys

While Disclaimer isn’t a movie, it’s already making waves at the Toronto International Film Festival after premiering in Venice and Telluride. Alfonso Cuarón’s psychological thriller miniseries, starring Cate Blanchett and about a journalist who discovers she’s a character in someone else’s novel, will premiere on Apple TV+ on October 11. Early reviews suggest it’s already primed for next year’s Emmys. Let’s get to this week’s awards show first.

Barry Keoghan and Nikia Adams fly with 'The Bird'.

Andrea Arnold’s Bird stars Oscar nominee Barry Keoghan (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) as a struggling father, along with Franz Rogowski and newcomer Nikia Adams. While it may not be an Oscar contender, it’s likely to be an Indie Spirit Awards contender. Distributor Mubi will be hoping the film gains momentum as it moves up the festival circuit. Having a renowned cinematographer like Robbie Ryan behind the camera could be a great starting point, I think.

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

Fresh off her Emmy win for her role in FX’s “Bear,” Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) reclaims the spotlight with her breakout performance in Gia Coppola’s drama “The Last Showgirl.” Curtis plays Annette, a spunky cocktail waitress, in a scene-stealing moment that includes a dance to “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” a dramatic retelling of Matthew McConaughey’s “Magic Mike.”

The film, which also stars Pamela Anderson, Dave Bautista and Billie Lourd, has yet to find a distributor, but is expected to do so. It is likely to be released in 2025.

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

Two beautiful actors fall in love for 2 hours? Sign us up.

Directed by John Crowley (Brooklyn), We Live in Time is a poignant film starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh as lovers, one of whom is battling cancer. While romantic dramas like The Notebook and A Walk to Remember rarely make it big at the Oscars, Garfield and Pugh’s magnetic chemistry and past Oscar nominations may be the film’s best chance at recognition. A24 is betting on the star power of the duo to make the film a box office hit, which seems all but certain, given the audience response to their sex scenes.

What films could/will win the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival?

Since the Oscars expanded to include Best Picture in 2009, the winners of the TIFF Audience Awards have become reliable indicators of Oscar success. Films like Green Book (2018) and Nomadland (2020) have both won Best Picture. Only one TIFF winner has failed to receive a Best Picture nomination, Where Do We Go Now? (2011), and one film has failed to win at least one Oscar, The Fabelmans (2022).

So which film will win the People's Choice Award at this year's Toronto International Film Festival? The winner is often determined by three factors: the number of screenings, the size of the audience, and the timing of the screenings.

Among the festival’s most buzzy nominees are Palme d’Or winner “Anora” (Neon), Netflix’s musical “Emilia Perez” and the horror thriller “The Sustainability” (Mobi). Jason Reitman’s “Saturday Night” has also generated buzz for its mass appeal, but it premiered on Tuesday at the festival, which doesn’t allow long for attendees to see it. The same goes for Malcolm Washington’s directorial debut, “The Piano Lesson,” with John David Washington and Daniel Deadwyler.

There are vocal fans of director Almodóvar, but it's unclear how many are fans of his latest film, “The Room Next Door,” starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton.

Despite receiving a lot of acclaim, Brady Corbett's “The Brutalist,” which was acquired by A24, may be at a disadvantage due to its massive 215-minute running time and few public screenings.

There aren’t many world premieres that are worthy of the coveted award: DreamWorks Animation’s “The Wild Robot” and Rachel Morrison’s “The Fire Inside” (Amazon MGM) both received positive reviews and were widely acclaimed. Also in the mix is ​​Oscar-winning director William Goldenberg’s “Unstoppable” (“Argo”), which received critical acclaim.

The Toronto International Film Festival's People's Choice Award could shake up the Oscar race. Here are the top 10 films that could win the award.