After an early morning airport shuttle and a bleary-eyed stagger back to my front door in Brooklyn, my TIFF 2011 experience is finally over. During yesterday's video blog I suggested I might record one more once I got back home, but i might be too exhausted to physically form words at this point. Instead, why don't we look over what I saw, what I learned and who I met in the universal language of a list. If you want to catch up on the full breadth of my Toronto coverage-- which will continue in the form of interviews and reviews as many of the films see release in the coming months-- you can go here to see the full lineup of coverage. But for the quick overview, join me for a little walk through the last 9, breathless days of moviegoing.
Films seen: 27
People interviewed: 21
Most charming interviewee, English-speaking category: Your Sister's Sister director Lynn Shelton
Most charming interviewee, non-English-speaking category: The Artist star Jean Dujardin
Interviewees who name dropped Shia LaBeouf: 2 (Megan Fox and Emile Hirsch)
Films I loved: 10
Films I hated: 3
Favorite film: The Descendants
Least favorite film: Killer Joe
Film I regret sleeping through so that I can't review it: The Day, a very misguided attempt to squeeze in one last Midnight Madness screening on my last night in Toronto
Film I most regret missing: Butter
Best Picture nominees I predict I saw: 2 (The Descendants and The Artist)
Best Actor nominees I predict I saw: 3 (George Clooney in The Descendants, Ryan Gosling in The Ides of March, Jean Dujardin in The Artist)
Great performances that probably won't be nominated but are great anyway: 8 (Michael Fassbender in Shame, Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 50/50, Ralph Fiennes in Coriolanus, Michael Shannon in Take This Waltz, Greta Gerwig in Damsels in Distress, Kirsten Dunst in Melancholia, Saoirse Ronan in Violet & Daisy, Michelle Williams in Take This Waltz
Great movies that probably won't be out this year but you should look for anyway: 5 (Take This Waltz, You're Next, Your Sister's Sister, Jeff Who Lives At Home, God Bless America)
Famous directors spotted seeing movies that weren't theirs: 3 (Jason Reitman, Atom Egoyan, Brian De Palma)
Famous director spotted lifting up his shirt to interrupt an interview Sarah Silverman was doing: Just 1, Bobcat Goldthwait
Most unexpected celebration: A round of "Happy Birthday" for Alexis Bledel at the after-party for Violet & Daisy
Most expected celebration: The joyful Q&A and elated cast of Your Sister's Sister after the premiere.
Distinctly Canadian junk foods I ate far too often: 3 (Poutine, Coffee Crisp bars, ketchup potato chips)
Street hot dogs eaten: Only 1, thank God.
