This Thursday, the 31st Annual Toronto International Film Festival will commence. I am pleased to be covering the event for In Contention.

This will be my third year attending the festival, and while it won’t be true festival experience (30-50 films), I will be taking in 13-14 titles, most of which have some awards hopes in the upcoming Oscar season…or at least, so we think right now.

While this is a healthy crop, it’s not an overwhelming one, so I should be able to update on a regular basis. Coverage will begin Thursday, September 7th.

I’ll obviously be offering initial opinions of the films I see, many of which will only now be screened before audiences of considerable size. I also hope to be giving some insight into the overall feel of the festival and the experience of each individual viewing. It really is a different theater experience every time a festival film screens.

So here I am. I hope you enjoy reading my thoughts on the festival as much as I enjoy attending the films – and writing about them!

(On a personal note, I’d like to give thanks to Kris, for the opportunity to cover the festival for In Contention, and of course to Claes, for his absolutely stunning graphic design.)