Toronto came to a close this weekend and the exerts are weighing in on the official kick-off to awards season.

Deadline’s Pete Hammond notes that a good reception for key films on the Venice, Telluride & Toronto circuit has proved in recent years to be a reliable indicator of where Oscar could be headed, even though it’s very early in the game. The Los Angeles Times says, “Toronto’s audiences are savvy, literate and above all, appreciative. And sometimes, they’re a bellwether of success.”

Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master,” Ben Affleck’s “Argo” and David O. Russell’s “Silver Linings Playbook” have benefitted from the early season exposure at the festivals.

Other films from the festivals that could feature in the race include Joe Wright’s “Anna Karenina,” “Hyde Park on Hudson” with Bill Murray and disaster drama “The Impossible.”

Pics also being mentioned include the epic “Cloud Atlas,” police pic “End of Watch,” Dustin Hoffman’s directorial debut “Quartet,” comedy “The Sessions” and crime drama “The Iceman.”

Possible contenders to have come ahead of the fall fest trifecta include Searchlight’s Sundance winner “Beasts of the Southern Wild” and “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.” Focus Features has Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom” and Harvey Weinstein has “The Intouchables.”

High-profile movies yet to be seen and not to be counted out include Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” Ang Lee’s “Life of Pi,” Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty” and Tom Hooper’s “Les Miserables.”

Other links of interest:

Here’s a different kind of critical look at Toronto from The New York Times’ Manohla Dargis.

Here’s Anne Thompson’s podcast on the Oscar race post-Toronto and Telluride.

And here’s Jeff Wells on the “slam-dunkiest” Best Picture contender.

Steve Pond also weighs in on 5 lessons learned in Toronto.

Sales were strong in Toronto. Variety has a round-up of the bigger deals plus a breakout of financing pacts and casting attachments that were announced.

http://www.deadline.com/2012/09/toronto-venice-telluride-wrap-up-silver-linings-argo-the-master-emerge-as-early-best-picture-contenders-as-season-starts/

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-toronto-film-festival-wrap-20120917,0,1635633.story