This year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which ran all last week, offered cinema lovers the opportunity to see hundreds of feature length films, numerous shorts and a week of immersion within a fantastic medium. The Clarion has compiled our shortlist of movies premiering at the festival to watch for as they become available in the U.S. in the coming months.

“The Place Beyond the Pines”

Starring Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper, this crime film tells the story of a motorcycle stunt man (Gosling) attempting to provide for his newborn son with a life of crime, only to be met with opposition by a politician and former police officer (Cooper).

The film carries a strong supporting cast, including Eva Mendez, Rose Byrne (“Bridesmaids”) and Ray Liotta (“Goodfellas”). Director Derek Cianfrance (“Blue Valentine”) delivers what promises to be a thrilling and drama-filled cinematic experience to this year’s film festival. Set in Schenectady, known to the Mohawk people as the place beyond the pines, this movie is sure to be one audiences will not want to miss.

“Looper”

Director Rian Johnson delivers his third movie, a dark work of science fiction, in the form of “Looper.” Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis portray two time traveling assassins, sent from the future on the behest of nefarious criminal organizations. Circumstances grow difficult when Joseph Simmons (Gordon-Levitt) realizes that Willis’ character is actually an older version of himself.

The film appears to be fast-paced and involved, creating an intricate web of storytelling. Met with critical acclaim at the festival, clearly Johnson has found his niche in modern film noir, offering a mind-bending plot filled with homage to the past and a look into the future.

“Silver Linings Playbook”

In a story exploring overcoming mental illness, the film “Silver Linings Playbook” finds Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) moving back in with his parents after being released from an institution. Jennifer Lawrence (“The Hunger Games”) stars as Tiffany, a woman who also struggles with a mental disorder and with whom Pat forms an unlikely friendship. Robert De Niro, Julia Stiles and Chris Tucker (“Rush Hour”) also star in this comedy-drama directed by the critically acclaimed David O. Russell.

The film, winner of the TIFF People’s Choice Award, appears to take a unique spin on the topics of love, loss and healing, using an all-star cast to support the intriguing plot.

“The Company You Keep”

Produced directed by and starring, critically acclaimed actor Robert Redford, this political action film appears as a juggernaut in this year’s TIFF. Redford stars as Jim Grant, a man who comes out of hiding 30 years after committing a bank robbery and murder. A web of conspiracy is quickly spun and the film’s plot is set into motion.

A young reporter, Ben Shepard (Shia LaBeouf, “Transformers”), is assigned to the story and uses his contact within the FBI (Anna Kendrick, “Up in the Air”) to further his assignment. Ben and Jim’s stories merge and weave, creating a thriller that will have audiences on the edge of their seats throughout the runtime.

The film looks to be a commentary on politics, print journalism and even idealism during the Vietnam War era, clearly making the movie a contender for the most gripping films of the TIFF.