Best of the Fest: 3 TIFF Films to Download

When the red carpet is rolled up and the last of the paparazzi have flown back to LA, all that’s left of TIFF is the standout films. TIFF may be non-competitive but there’s a few films pick up a lot of heat. Keep track of the must-haves by pre-ordering on iTunes (and take a walk down memory lane with its selection from previous years).

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Idris Elba is a star (even if everyone doesn’t know it yet). Mandela is a career-defining role that will rocket him to superstardom – and probably the Kodak Theatre come February. A festival favourite, the fans serenaded him with Happy Birthday on the red carpet (awww) and he spent Saturday night showing off his other skill set – DJing.

Rush

Ron Howard’s first independent film since the beginning of his career, Rush follows the 1976 rivalry of two race car rivals. Chris Hemsworth, one of the Aussie brothers that have taken Hollywood by storm, stars. Hemsworth brothers Luke and Liam (sans Miley) made their way to Toronto to support their bro.

August: Osage County

Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts: They should just start handing out the gold statues now. Dealing with death, family drama and crisis, Streep and Roberts deliver powerhouse performances rounded out by a stellar cast including Benedict Cumberbatch (the darling of the fest, with 3 films playing), Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Dermot Mulroney and Juliette Lewis. The fans and media were slightly disappointed that Meryl was unable to attend due to illness, but Julia, in red Dolce & Gabbana, worked the carpet like the pro she is.

We spent the weekend at TIFF – see our dispatch from the front lines, today on our Editors’ Diary.