It takes two (festivals) to kick off Oscar season

As the summer of sequels, blockbusters and billion-dollar franchises comes to a close, studios now look ahead to the fall festival circuit, a leading indicator of their films’ awards and commercial potential. Two of these festivals — Venice and Toronto — take place within the next few weeks and feature everything from period films to arthouse thrillers to passion projects from world-renowned directors.

Here is a rundown of the Venice and Toronto film festivals and the notable films they feature.

Venice Film Festival (August 30 – September 10)

A Dangerous Method

Canadian auteur David Cronenberg’s latest film details the complicated relationship between Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) and Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) on the road to their respective breakthroughs in psychoanalysis. Also co-starring Keira Knightley as a disturbed patient, this film plays right into Cronenberg’s wheelhouse of dark, psychologically complex dramas. If critics respond favorably to it, look for this film to make a massive awards play in all the major categories.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

From Tomas Alfredson, the director of acclaimed Swedish thriller Let the Right One In, comes this adaptation of John Le Carre’s Cold War-era espionage novel that stars Gary Oldman as British spy George Smiley. When it is discovered that a Soviet mole resides within the British MI6, Smiley comes out of semi-retirement to uncover the spy. This film is already getting great buzz from people who have seen advanced screenings, which bodes well for its future awards chances.

The Ides of March

George Clooney directs, writes and stars in this adaptation of the stage play Farragut North that follows an idealistic campaign staffer (Ryan Gosling) who learns a hard lesson in political corruption when working for a budding presidential candidate (George Clooney). Clooney has proven himself as a triple threat when it comes to filmmaking (see: Good Night and Good Luck), and this political thriller could have major awards implications depending on audience and critical reaction.

Carnage

Exiled director Roman Polanski adapts the Broadway hit God of Carnage to the screen, detailing the conflict between two sets of parents after their sons get into a fight at school. The film boasts an impressive cast (Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly) and shows a darkly comedic side of Polanski we have not seen before. Look for a major awards push for Polanski’s directing and writing, as well as the four performances if the film is well received.

Toronto International Film Festival (September 8 — 18) 

The Artist

One of the most interesting award-worthy films this year is newbie director Michael Hazanavicius’s chronicle of the rise and fall of a silent film star (Jean Dujardin). A silent, black-and-white film, it can be best described as A Star is Born meets Singin’ in the Rain. It was a major critical and audience hit when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, so the buzz for this film will only grow stronger after it bows in Toronto.

Coriolanus

British thespian Ralph Fiennes makes his directorial debut in this reinterpretation of the Shakespeare classic. The film follows an exiled former war hero (Fiennes) who teams up with a sworn enemy (Gerard Butler) in order to take back the city that was one under his rule. Fiennes’s film is generating good word of mouth buzz, especially for his, Butler and Vanessa Redgrave’s performances.

The Descendants

George Clooney double-dips the festival circuit this year in his second starring role in Alexander Payne’s film about a Hawaiian landowner (Clooney) who tries to reconnect with his two daughters after his wife goes into a coma. Payne, best known for directing Sideways and About Schmidt, is a master at seamlessly meshing comedy with drama, and Clooney seems to be channeling his Oscar-nominated Up in the Air performance in this film, so keep an eye on this one as it also appears to be a major contender come awards voting time. 

Moneyball

Fresh off his Oscar win for his Social Network screenplay, Aaron Sorkin adapts the bestselling book that follows Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) as he teams up with a young mathematician (Jonah Hill) to create a successful baseball team with almost no money by utilizing an unconventional computer-generated analysis system when scouting players. Directed by Capote helmer Bennett Miller, this film benefits largely from Sorkin’s talent as a writer and is generating some early buzz among industry insiders.