Memorable moments at TIFF

Emma Thompson high fives fans on the red carpet for the film "The Love Punch" during the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2013. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn)

The Toronto International Film Festival wrapped Sunday after 11 days of non-stop movie madness. Through a bleary haze of too much caffeine and too little sleep, the writers of The Canadian Press looked back at the trends and memorable moments that defined this year's slate:

Memorable performances:

Sandra Bullock -- The Oscar-winner deftly handled the claustrophobic setting of "Gravity," with every move and breath adding to the realism and drama of being lost in space.

Judi Dench -- This formidable veteran is sure to be in the running for awards-season glory with this wonderful portrayal of a mother searching for her lost son in "Philomena."

Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong'o -- Here's a trio that put so much into their gut-wrenching "12 Years a Slave" roles, it's a miracle they didn't suffer post-traumatic stress disorder after shooting.

Gattlin Griffith -- As the young protagonist who watches his mother fall in love with an escaped convinct in Jason Reitman's "Labour Day," Griffith doesn't say much. He doesn't have to. The face of this child actor speaks vast volumes, and he more than holds his own alongside veterans Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin.

Jake Gyllenhaal -- If ever there was any doubt this Hollywood hunk could play with the best, his riveting turn as a tightly wound detective in "Prisoners" smashes that to pieces. If that wasn't enough, he turns in an equally captivating performance in the experimental psychological puzzle "Enemy."

Scarlett Johansson -- Best known for her seductive allure, Johansson combines that with an unnerving intensity as the bewitching alien man-hunter she plays in the sometimes freakish sci-fi feature "Under the Skin." And oh yeah, the full frontal nudity was memorable, too.

Jared Leto/Matthew McConaughey -- Both dropped a shocking amount of weight for "Dallas Buyers Club," but it was their magical onscreen chemistry as homophobic redneck (McConaughey) and brassy drag queen (Leto) -- united by the horror of AIDS -- that made this pair a true standout.

Daniel Radcliffe -- This Brit proved his Potter days are well behind him with three very different films showing his wide and impressive range, including "Horns," "Kill Your Darlings," and "The F Word."

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Career breakthroughs:

Dane DeHaan is constantly compared to Leonardo DiCaprio, but not just because of his looks -- as his three festival films showed, the Pennsylvania native oozes similar onscreen skill and swagger and is surely one to watch.

Mexican-born, Kenyan-raised Nyong'o no doubt has a long career ahead of her after her harrowing film debut as the slave Patsey in "12 Years a Slave."

Jack O'Connell, the British star of TV's "Skins" simmers with white-hot rage in the memorable prison drama "Starred Up." He's already caught the eye of Angelina Jolie, who's tapped him for her upcoming directorial effort "Unbroken."

Denis Villeneuve has long been established as one of Canada's strongest directors, but his big-budget U.S. debut with the star-packed "Prisoners" has cemented a solid future in Hollywood, too.

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Double features: An inordinate number of films with actors playing multiple roles had us doing a double take at the screen: Jesse Eisenberg plays both the meek Simon and his outgoing opposite James in "The Double," Ed Harris serves as both the beloved husband of a grieving widow and her new boyfriend in "The Face of Love," Johansson is a mysterious alien in various guises in "Under the Skin," while Gyllenhaal is a glum professor and a cocky smalltime actor in "Enemy."

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Who am I again?: Several stars worked the circuit on behalf of more than one movie, forcing them to juggle talk of sometimes widely divergent projects. It took a moment for Daniel Bruhl to get his bearings when entering an interview for the WikiLeaks flick "The Fifth Estate," asking first whether he was supposed to talk about his other movie, the Formula One feature "Rush," from Ron Howard. "Are we talking about 'The Fifth Estate,' now?" he asked tentatively.

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Oscar buzz: Each of the past six Academy Award winners for best picture have screened at TIFF. And if you believe the rapturous reaction of such outlets as the Guardian and New York magazine, director Steve McQueen's unflinching "12 Years a Slave" could make that seven in a row. But the slavery epic will certainly have competition from other fest favourites. Audiences were mesmerized by three-time nominee Alfonso Cuaron's technological marvel "Gravity," and John Wells' "August: Osage County" so delivered on the promise of its stellar cast that Julia Roberts was already facing press conference queries about a possible Oscar-night showdown with co-star Meryl Streep, a three-time winner.

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Friendly celebs: TV's "Girls" hottie Adam Driver cracked jokes throughout his interview to promote "Tracks," leaving a reporter and photographer in stitches, while British director Richard Ayoade, in Toronto for his dark comedy "The Double," had a group of journalists giggling as he interspersed comments on the film with quips about the music playing in the room. Meanwhile, Quebecois newcomer Gabrielle Marion-Rivard charmed the camera right out of our photographer's hands. The effervescent 24-year-old, who has Williams Syndrome like her character in the coming-of-age tale "Gabrielle," eagerly obliged an invitation to snap a few shots of her co-star, Alexandre Landry. ------

Refreshing candour: Yes, Nyong'o's name has come up several times on this list, but we couldn't help falling for her sweet, sincere and smart personality. The "12 Years a Slave" star proved she hasn't gone all Hollywood on us when she broke down crying in an interview and explained how grateful and overwhelmed she was by all the accolades for her performance as Patsey. "At the end of the day, Patsey was my reward and everything else is welcome and overwhelming and beautiful," she said as tears streamed down her face.

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Scarjo's sweet tooth: Ushered into the elevator of a posh hotel during a press whirlwind, Johansson nibbled on a bag of sugary candy. When an aide suggested that the sour fish were stale, the stunning starlet murmured in agreement: "They are hard." Then she continued nibbling.

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No shows: Streep scratched her planned appearance because she was ill -- according to the festival -- so Roberts held court at the press conference for "August: Osage County," exchanging witty banter with her co-stars and making a roomful of reporters howl with her quips. Bearded funnyman Zach Galifianakis, meanwhile, missed the premiere of "Mad Men" creator Matthew Weiner's "You Are Here" because his wife, Quinn Lundberg, was reportedly in labour. And dreams of a surprise appearance from "Gravity" co-star George Clooney came crashing down to Earth, but the festival did benefit from one unexpected infusion of star power care of "12 Years a Slave" producer/co-star Brad Pitt, who took time to sign autographs for fans and chat with most of the reporters lining the red carpet at his film's premiere.

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Idle hands: Radcliffe had a large latte and a huge iced mocha by his side as he gamely promoted the first of his three festival films; Benedict Cumberbatch beamed with delight at being handed a banana by an aide to nibble on while fielding questions; Vanessa Paradis calmly withdrew a bag of Rizla papers and rolled herself a cigarette while responding to queries about her John Turturro-directed dramedy "Fading Gigolo"; and Susan Sarandon kept her well-behaved fluffy white pooch Penny on her lap throughout a round of interviews.

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Screening Snafus: Technical and logistical problems affected several highly anticipated screenings, leaving some audiences fuming. The first press and industry showing for "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" was halted 45 minutes in due to a "mechanical" problem, and the whopping 143-minute film had to be rescheduled for late that evening (yes, they repeated the first 45 minutes!). Meanwhile, a public screening of "Gravity" in 3D and IMAX was "oversold," forcing some patrons to watch the space drama near the front row on metal chairs brought in from the lobby. And, scores of disappointed scribes were turned away from the only press and industry screening for "August: Osage County," while producer Harvey Weinstein was reportedly one of the lucky ones to get a glimpse of the just-finished film.

By Canadian Press film festival reporters Victoria Ahearn, Andrea Baillie, Diana Mehta, Nick Patch and Cassandra Szklarski.