Film festivals should be about seeing movies you otherwise wouldn’t — not who deserves an Oscar

Justine Smith

While little more than a self-congratulatory popularity contest, the Oscars have weaselled a reputation as a legitimate measure of artistic value. With each passing year, the marathon event grows longer and larger and yet, with a handful of exceptions, movies that are too challenging, foreign or interesting will likely never be considered for the prize. Even by their own standards, the Academy’s preferential ballot system means movies that rank second or third on the most lists have the greatest chance of winning. The Oscars don’t even reward the best film, they reward the least-disliked.

So, why do we let the Oscars dominate critical conversations at a festival like TIFF?

Film festivals can be an incredible opportunity to watch new and challenging films from across the world, but increasingly major film festivals are treated as the early playoff rounds in the Oscar race. Critics and audiences alike uplift American studio films that seem predestined for Oscar success and, inevitably, the discussion from every film festival is wrapped up in the same five to 10 movies that have a shot at Oscar gold.

This year’s edition of TIFF is screening 342 different films over 11 days. Most of those movies will never have Oscar consideration and a vast majority will not have a wide theatrical release. Programs like Wavelengths put the focus on the most daring voices in cinema today and a diverse panel of programmers put together collections from Africa, Asia, South America and Canada, that highlight the vibrant cinema of today.

Most viewers outside of Toronto will never have the opportunity to see La Flor on the big screen, but many will opt to watch A Star is Born, a film that will be screened in theatres across North America in early October. Is this just a grandscale Stanford marshmallow experiment? Are we really so swayed by the opportunity to be among the first to declare Lady Gaga’s performance Oscar-worthy that we lose out on the best TIFF has to offer?

The Oscar race’s dominance of major festivals is reflective of a clear failure in contemporary film criticism. Oscar talk is always going to garner more attention than writing thoughtfully about a small personal drama from Chile. As a result, there is less and less room for highlighting and celebrating films that might not have a chance at Oscar gold. Mediocre American films are uplifted as relevant simply because they fit the Academy Awards mould, while great and compelling movies are left unseen.

The effect of the Oscar race on a major festival like TIFF is that it’s treated as little more than a red carpet event ahead of the big show. As Canadian filmgoers, this should be especially egregious, as the country’s largest international cinematic platform is given away to our big Hollywood neighbours.

Earlier this year, TIFF director and CEO Piers Handling (who will be stepping down after this year’s edition) spoke candidly about the effect of the awards season on festivals with Indiewire, saying, “The biggest challenge that faces all of these festivals — how do you carve out your own identity that’s not being imposed on you?”

He highlighted the Platform showcase, which puts into focus great auteur cinema and emerging voices from around the world. TIFF’s Share her Journey program is a similar endeavour meant to challenge the lack of diversity at festivals and in the industry. Since 2015, when Toronto filmmaker Matt Johnson, called out the festival for neglecting Canadian filmmakers, TIFF has also worked to further highlight our country’s programming.

In other words, TIFF has given cinema lovers the opportunity to go beyond the Oscar race prognostication. But it’s up to us to appreciate it. A film festival like TIFF offers a rare opportunity to challenge your viewing habits and see something new. Let’s not lose another festival to the Academy Awards.