Dave Karger names ten potential Oscar contender to watch out for at the Toronto Film Festival, including “Argo” and “Anna Karenina“: “As it has been for most of the last dozen or years, the Toronto International Film Festival was a major Academy Awards feeder last year: Three of the nine eventual Best Picture nominees (‘The Artist,’ ‘The Descendants,’ and ‘Moneyball‘) played there, while ‘Beginners,’ which won Best Supporting Actor for Christopher Plummer, premiered at the festival in 2010. Now that much of this year’s lineup has been announced, here are the 10 movies I’ll have my eye on when I head up north in September.” EW.COM
Sasha Stone responds with her own list of possible standout titles in Toronto, including “Great Expectations” and Joss Whedon‘s “Much Ado About Nothing“: “A veteran awards wonk, Dave Karger is gifted with keen Oscar instincts. This year, though, I’m hoping there will be less sheep herding and more focus paid to genuinely good movies, rather than those that are ‘Oscar movies.’ Dave’s list, I think, features a good variety of quality films. He’s looking a little deeper, I think, at what will be coming our way. I’d just like to add a few more from the Toronto list. There isn’t much crossover between this and Venice, except the Mira Nair film. There aren’t so many titles at Venice that, sight unseen, scream Oscar. Or even those worth pushing towards Oscar. But that might change once the fest is afoot. We’ll keep an eye on all ten from Dave’s list and I’ll include ten more.” AWARDS DAILY
Jeff Wells provides his thoughts on the Toronto talk: “Festival huzzahs for ‘Cloud Atlas,’ of course, but it’s not, I’m sensing, up the Academy’s 62 year-old white male alley. ‘Hyde Park on Hudson‘ feels more like a performance thing (i.e., Laura Linney). JA Bayona‘s ‘The Impossible,’ I’ve been told, is a much better film than most people realize at this stage, and is thus looking like potential Best Picture material. ‘To the Wonder‘ = Terrence Potrzebie. ‘The Sessions‘ (which I’ve seen) is an acting thing. ‘The Silver Linings Playbook,’ I’m told, is primarily an acting thing. I know nothing about ‘The Place Beyond the Pines‘ beyond the vague aroma of indie downeritude. ‘Rust and Bone‘ is an acting thing (i.e., Marion Cotillard).” HOLLYWOOD ELSEWHERE
Meet Chris Alexander, the maestro who runs the Emmy campaigns for Fox TV studio (‘Modern Family,’ ‘New Girl,’ ‘Glee,’ etc.). In the past, he ran the campaigns for ’24,’ ‘The Practice’ and other Emmy darlings too. In this video chat, he tattles about his daily job and professional background. ENTREPRENURIAL JOY
Louis C.K. responds to his Emmy nominations record: “With seven Emmy nominations, Louis C.K. just broke the record for most noms for an individual in a single Emmy year — coming for both his acclaimed FX series ‘Louie‘ along with a stand-up special. He broke the record held previously by David Lynch for ‘Twin Peaks.’ At an appearance at TCA this morning via satellite from Albany, NY he called the record ‘bittersweet’ because he’s such a huge fan of Lynch. But at the same time, he said he felt that records are more of a sports thing and that ‘with creative and television and writing, it’s kind of silly a little bit. But it’s really nice to get FX a whole bunch of nominations. That’s what’s nice for me.'” DEADLINE
