NEWS

BRAVO TIFF

A bite-size take on the Toronto Fest that was

Film excellence at the Toronto International Film Festival which ended Sunday was on full display, reminding us why cinema is also called the seventh art, a qualifier a critic can’t always use nowadays. British director Steve McQueen’s superb “12 Years a Slave” which won the prestigious audience award is already a front-runner contender for an Academy Award. Other great films were Geoffrey Reggio’s (“Koyaanisqatsi”) return after a number of years with “Visitors,” a B&W musing to a live performance of Phil Glass’s hypnotic score. Attendees will also remember the stunning “Gravity” by Alfonso Cuaron and any number of excellent other entries including “Can a Song Save your Life?” by John Carney (“Once”) and “August: Ausage Country,” another possible Oscar winner. Bravo TIFF.