Toronto International Film Festival 2014: Overview & Films of Note

Toronto International Film Festival Overview. Several A-listers are making their way up north this weekend to attend the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Over 300 movies from more than 60 countries will be on show, many of who will be hoping to use the festival to spring-shot their films from obscurity and land them some much needed public attention.

143 films are expected to make their World Premier during the festival. All entrants will be vying for the top spot, which has gone to films like “12 years a Slave” and “Slumdog Millionaire” in the past.

Al Pacino, Tom Hardy, Robert Downey Jr, and Bill Murray are just some of the stars with films airing at the festival. Though, not to be outshone by anyone, Benedict Cumberbatch, stars in “The Imitation Game“. The film tells the story of Alan Turing during and his attempts to crack the enigma code during World War 2. I assume they chose Cumberbatch based on the transferable super sleuth skills he’s likely to bring onto this role.

One movie I have to mention is “Rosewater”. This screen version of the memoir written by Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari, who was falsely imprisoned and tortured under allegations that he was a spy. The reason the film has already gathered so much attention is likely due to its director, none other than John Stewart. Stewart took a sabbatical from his hugely popular television show to take part in the project and so far the reviews for the film have been overwhelmingly favorable.

Another movie worth an early mention is “Eden”. This French drama film is directed by Mia Hansen-Løve, a winner of the special jury prize at the 2009 Cannes film festival. It tells the tale of two friends who pioneer the “French Touch”, a type of electronic music, a bit like Daft Punk or David Guetta. The film seems interesting but it’s likely to have more than a few electro tracks, so if you’re not really into that genre of music, I’d say it’s probably best to pass.

So far we’ve only scratched the surface for what’s on show at what many consider one of the top film festivals around. With many screenings still to come, anything can happen, and we’re quite likely to hear some early Oscar Buzz by the time the festival rolls up the carpet.

We previously published these Toronto International Film Festival articles:

Toronto International Film Festival 2014: Vanguard, Midnight Madness, Doc, Masters Lineup

Leave your thoughts on this 2014 Toronto International Film Festival overview below in the comments section. For more Toronto International Film Festival photos, videos, and information, visit our Toronto International Film Festival Page, subscribe to us by Email, “follow” us on Twitter, Tumblr, or “like” us on Facebook. These year’s Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 4-14, 2014 in Toronto, Canada.