Toronto International Film Festival was nearing its end, but the excitement showed no signs of diminishing; rather, it intensified with every passing moment.
Following the premiere of "The King's Speech", it swiftly became the year's biggest sensation at the festival, effortlessly surpassing all its competitors in terms of popularity. Within just two days, it had held ten screenings, and yet the demand persisted, with long queues forming at every showtime. This feverish momentum not only broke the record set by "Buried" for the highest data this festival season but also outperformed "Slumdog Millionaire", becoming the most sought-after work at the Toronto International Film Festival since the 21st century began.
Simultaneously, "Buried", even after adding six additional showings, performed admirably. Not only were all the tickets sold out, but the queues remained as long as ever. It was evident that this sensational piece had attracted countless eyes in Toronto, becoming the center of attention and successfully securing a place on the international stage.
Topics related to other popular works like "Black Swan", "Blue Valentine", and "The Town" also remained consistently high. Although the Toronto International Film Festival didn't have official awards other than the People's Choice Award, the organizers did provide additional recognition for certain works, such as Best Canadian Feature Film and Best Canadian Debut, to encourage local Canadian productions.
Consequently, the question of which work would emerge as the biggest winner in Toronto and carry its successes into the North American awards season became a hot topic of fervent discussion.
Among these various points of interest, the rise of Gen Y was undoubtedly significant. Natalie Portman, Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams, James Franco, and Renly Hall – these five actors were all members of Gen Y, and their performances had received universal acclaim. Many believed that each of these actors had a good chance of making an impact in the awards race this year.
Natalie, with her long-standing fame, undoubtedly stood out the most. "Black Swan" had been gaining momentum since its debut in Venice a fortnight ago, and even before the official start of the awards season, it had established a strong position.
In "Black Swan", the blending of performance and reality had been vividly depicted through Natalie's acting. When she took on the role in the film, the line between performance and reality blurred for her as well. She became immersed in it, particularly with the demanding ballet dance performances, which drew much acclaim.
However, the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly exposed a surprising revelation: Natalie used a body double for some of her dance scenes in "Black Swan". This revelation ignited a new round of discussions.
In an interview, Natalie explained that due to her lack of professional training in ballet, she was unable to meet the role's dance requirements, which is why a body double was used. However, she had still performed most of the dance moves herself, accounting for over eighty-five percent. During the interview, Natalie elaborated at length on how she captured the beauty of ballet dancing in the film and the painstaking process of filming the dance sequences.
The use of body doubles wasn't the issue; anyone with even a basic understanding of ballet knew that it was a highly specialized skill requiring years of practice. For Natalie, being an actress and not a professional dancer, this was entirely reasonable. The key concern, however, lay in the film's promotional focus, which had always been on Natalie's immersion into madness. This revelation changed the flavor of the narrative; the impression took a sudden dip.
In no time, reporters were once again abuzz with discussions about how this revelation might affect Natalie's Oscar prospects – a question that no one had the answer to.
In the course of Academy public relations, any negative news could become a stumbling block, akin to the missteps in a U.S. presidential election. One of the most famous historical cases was the Weinsteins' battle for fame, where "Shakespeare in Love" unexpectedly overthrew "Saving Private Ryan". Faced with formidable competition, the Weinstein brothers employed a barrage of internet trolls and negative media campaigns against their rivals. Simultaneously, they spent double or even triple the amount of advertising budget compared to other competing studios, launching a comprehensive public relations campaign. The outcome is well-known to all – it remains one of the most controversial editions in Oscar history.
Now, just before the start of the awards season, Natalie's negative news had surfaced, its impact hard to estimate. However, firstly, Natalie had proactively disclosed the information, which could work in her favor; secondly, there were still nearly five months left, providing time for remedy and the possibility of fading into oblivion. Therefore, everything remained uncertain.
This revelation undoubtedly garnered substantial attention for Entertainment Weekly, even surpassing the recent heated discussion over Us Weekly due to the Renly and James Franco feud. It reignited the flames just as the Toronto International Film Festival was about to conclude.
First, "The King's Speech", followed by "Black Swan", and then "Buried" reappeared with a radiant spark. Before the closing ceremony arrived, it seemed that all the accumulated energy was bursting forth in a grand display.
First, Hollywood Reporter exposed that Focus Features and Fox Searchlight were competing for the North American distribution rights of "Buried". The endorsement from these two top-tier independent labels was undoubtedly a significant affirmation of the work. Subsequently, The New York Times revealed that The Weinstein Company and Lionsgate had joined the competition. The involvement of The Weinstein Company, in particular, added an intriguing twist to the race.
The Weinstein brothers maintained a consistent goal year after year: the Oscars. This led people to inevitably recall the still-ongoing debate about who would secure an Oscar nomination between Renly and James Franco. Now, with the Weinstein brothers setting their sights on "Buried", did that signify...?
One wave of news about "Buried" followed another, and it was in no way inferior to the fervor surrounding "Black Swan". This low-budget thriller and suspense film had clearly become one of the most sought-after works at this year's Toronto International Film Festival.
Of course, a significant portion of this was due to the fact that the distribution rights for other popular works had long been snapped up. Toronto was the last stop in the market, allowing "Buried" to capture the attention of major distributors.
Nevertheless, among the works that had their global premiere at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, "Buried" rightfully occupied the position of the hottest commodity, an ultimate affirmation.
Soon after, Us Weekly made the final call: "Focus Features successfully secures the North American distribution rights for the hot film "Buried"!"
Us Weekly once again took the spotlight. In this year's Toronto International Film Festival, this magazine, which originated as a gossip entertainment news source, truly came to the forefront. It first sparked discussions about Gen Y actors and then revealed the subsequent trajectory of this year's biggest dark horse, easily surpassing a myriad of other strong competitors. In the realm of news reporting, it managed to gain the advantage and secure half a step ahead.
According to reports, amidst fierce competition, Focus Features secured the rising dark horse of this year's Toronto International Film Festival, "Buried", from The Weinstein Company and Fox Searchlight for a staggering price of $4.5M. This acquisition caused a stir among everyone.
This transaction price effortlessly exceeded the $3M production cost of "Buried", enabling the production to achieve profitability in one swift move. Simultaneously, it earned a prominent spot on this year's Toronto Film Festival's transaction ranking, trailing only behind "Blue Valentine". The Weinstein Company had previously secured the North American distribution rights for the film at a substantial $6M, making it the kingpin of this year's Toronto Festival.
$4.5M – an astounding sum for an independent film. The average transaction price at the Sundance Film Festival each year remains below $3M, occasionally spiking to $6-8M, but those cases are few and far between.
Hidden behind this number is the intensity of the competition for distribution rights. It's evident that Focus Features had invested considerable effort to stand out from the crowd. Furthermore, it reflects their confidence in the film's box office prospects. Whether through profit sharing or a buyout, "Buried" must achieve at least $8-10M in box office revenue to make this transaction worthwhile for Focus Features.
In summary, "Buried" once again captured the limelight. Before the closing ceremony arrived, this gleaming black horse asserted its strong presence.
As anticipated, at the closing ceremony and award presentation of the Toronto International Film Festival, neither "Buried" nor "Blue Valentine" stole the spotlight. The wager between Renly and Ryan ended in a draw.
Among the competitive works, "The King's Speech" ultimately emerged triumphant, overcoming the rising acclaim of "Black Swan" to win the People's Choice Award of the 35th Toronto International Film Festival. In addition, "Incendies" secured the Best Canadian Film Award, with director Dennis Villeneuve successfully drawing global attention.
Worth noting is that The Weinstein Company had secured the North American distribution rights for "The King's Speech" early on, during the Venice Film Festival. Currently, the film has garnered a chorus of positive feedback in Toronto, and based on initial reviews, it's on par with "Blue Valentine" and "Incendies". However, the audience's enthusiastic reception could be a significant factor, as the People's Choice Award undeniably contributes to the film's award season prospects. The Weinstein brothers are evidently brimming with confidence.
As a side note, the previous two winners of the People's Choice Award went on to secure nominations for Best Picture at the Oscars.
The annual Toronto International Film Festival had finally come to a close, marking the beginning of the North American awards season. Numerous works graced the stage, offering a glimpse into the preliminary landscape of this year's award season. There were dark horses and front-runners, obscure pieces and mainstream selections. It's foreseeable that this year's award season will be exceptionally vibrant. The media reporters were all thrilled, eagerly preparing to embark on this journey.
But for Renly, he had only one thought: it's finally over.