ºÃÉ«tv

This year’s festival, running through Sept. 15, is opening Thursday with the premiere of David Gordon Green’s “Nutcrackers,� starring Ben Stiller as a workaholic forced to care for his rural Ohio nephews.

More than most years, it’s hard to say what’s likely to stand out the most at this year’s TIFF. But with more than 200 feature films set to unspool, the festival is sure to offer up many of the fall’s top films. Here are five questions heading into North America’s largest film event.

What will pop?

Last year’s TIFF was a diminished one but it still launched a bona fide hit and eventual Oscar-winner in Not many were buzzing about that film before it debuted in Toronto — a reminder that TIFF can surprise.

This year, some of the top movies debuting in Toronto include Marielle Heller’s “Nightbitch,� starring Amy Adams; “Hard Truths" by the British master Mike Leigh; John Crowley's years-spanning melodrama “We Live Inside,� starring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield; the Scott Beck and Bryan Woods thriller “The Heretic,� with a diabolical Hugh Grant; cinematographer Rachel Morrison's directorial debut “The Fire Inside"; the DreamWorks animation “The Wild Robot�; and the Anthony Robles true-life tale “Unstoppable,� with Jharrel Jerome and Jennifer Lopez.

What will maintain the buzz?

Aside from the movies making a first impression in Toronto, many films will be trying to build off of their receptions in Venice, Telluride or Cannes. At this early point, the Oscar race feels wide open — particularly compared to last year, when “Oppenheimer� and “Barbie� were, by September, already frontrunners. Nothing has yet ascended to favorite status, though some movies – like Jacques Audiard’s trans drug lord musical and the Vatican drama “Conclave� — come in with a lot of momentum.

What will sell?

Many of Toronto’s premieres are more focused on buyers than the awards race. That's partly by design. In two years, TIFF will officially launch a sales movie market, similar to the one operated during the Cannes Film Festival. This year, the many movies on offer include Ron Howard's “Eden,� starring Jude Law, Vanessa Kirby and ; the Stephen King adaptation “The Life of Chuck,� with Tom Hiddleston; Rebel Wilson's directorial debut “The Deb�; “The Last Showgirl,� starring Pamela Anderson; David Mackenzie's “Relay,� starring Riz Ahmed; and “On Swift Horses,� with Jacob Elordi and Daisy Edgar-Jones. Studios and streamers will kick the tires on those, and many more.

What will win the People’s Choice award?

You can count on little in life as much as the predictive powers of TIFF’s People’s Choice award. While countless Oscar stats get trotted out annually, this one is virtually always true: The winner of Toronto’s top prize will be nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards. That’s been the case every year since 2012. It was true when in Toronto, and it was true last year when Because TIFF gathers together so many of the fall’s movies, and because it boasts big audiences made up not just of industry professionals but regular moviegoers, what goes over gangbusters in Toronto usually does with the academy, too.

What will show up a year later?

While the majority of Toronto’s selections will be heading to theaters or streaming services sometime in the next few months, some movies — including some very good movies — may not show up for a year or more. Azazel Jacobs’s a standout at last year’s festival, just arrived in theaters. Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut, will land on Netflix next month, more than a year after bowing at Toronto. For some of Toronto's top titles, patience may be required.