The film world came together last weekend for one of the year’s biggest events: The Toronto International Film Festival. Here, films were displayed both in and out of competition, and we got our first good look at the films we think could be vying for awards. As the festival wraps up, let’s take a look at some highlights that will surely be the talk of the town over the next few months.

“La La Land”
Director Damien Chazelle struck gold with his breakout film “Whiplash” a few years ago, and it looks like he has done it again with his newest piece, “La La Land.” This film is a new, original musical and is a love letter to the great city of Los Angeles. Reminiscent of MGM musicals of a bygone era, critics and audience members alike have been raving about this movie’s charm, elegance and fun.
We haven’t seen an original musical made strictly for the screen in quite some time, so I personally could not be more thrilled to see what Chazelle has up his sleeve. Oscar talk is strong for this picture, and many people are saying Emma Stone could win, except she has some tough competition.

“Jackie”
If Emma Stone doesn’t win the Oscar, there’s a good chance it could go to one of my favorite actresses, Natalie Portman. Her performance in this film as the wife of assassinated president John F. Kennedy has everyone buzzing, with many saying it’s the star turn of the year. This film is a short, to-the-point biopic that will likely resonate with audiences due to Jackie Kennedy’s iconography and Natalie Portman’s undeniable acting chops.

“The Birth of a Nation”
One of the most controversial films of the year hasn’t even been released yet. “The Birth of a Nation” was acquired by Fox Searchlight in February for a record $17.5 million, and many thought it would be the front runner for Best Picture. Since then, though, allegations have surfaced regarding the film’s director and lead actor, Nate Parker, and whether he did or did not sexually assault a girl while he was in college.
I am in no place to speculate Parker’s innocence, but I can say that over the year I have watched this film go from an instant classic to possibly something studios will avoid. Despite this controversy, “The Birth of a Nation” opened to a standing ovation in Toronto, showing that maybe the film’s artistry will rise above its controversy.

“Raw”
While the previous films mentioned are all possible Oscar candidates, this film firmly is not, but that’s fine because it is so unique it cannot be ignored. This film is made by a young French director named Julia Ducournau and features a college-age girl who slowly turns into a cannibal.
As scary of a concept as that is, it only gets worse, as reports have come out of Toronto that paramedics had to be called not once, but twice during the screening. As someone who passed out during a theater camp’s production of “Godspell” when there was a blood packet, I’m already getting woozy thinking about this one.

Erik Benjamin is a junior Television, Radio, and Film major. You can reach him at ebenjami@syr.edu and @embenjamin14.