The films of Brad Pitt, Glenn Close, George Clooney, Michelle Williams, and other sterling Hollywood luminaries grace this year's Toronto International Film Festival which started on Sept 4. Abuzz with press conferences and multiple screenings, the festival had actors, directors, producers, studio executives and camera crews in the usual state of mild chaos. Some festival favorites emerged as early as five days into the event.

'Moneyball' is about a baseball team manager who used computer-generated analysis to draft the team's players. Brad Pitt plays the manager, alongside the salient support of Philip Seymour-Hoffamn and Jonah Hill. His wife, actress Angelina Jolie joined him on the red carpet for the premiere.

Right after the film's news conference, Pitt had to immediately fly back to London for the filming of horror feature 'World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War,' and Angelina had to resume her mommy duties and directorial work. Angelina is currently in the post-production stage of her directorial debut 'In the Land of Blood and Honey,' a drama recounting horrors of the 1990s Bosnian Wardue, due for release late this year.

'Drive' is the Ryan Gosling-starrer about the Los Angeles stunt driver who doubles up as a heist get-away car driver at nights. Gosling indulged screaming fans with autographs and photo opps during the premiere, and the Nicolas Winding Refn-directed film had great reviews, following a glowing run at the Cannes Film festival. 'Drive' also stars Carey Mulligan, who plays Gosling's love interest, Bryan Cranston (who has been shooting in Toronto for the remake of 'Total Recall' with Colin Farrel), Albert Brooks, and Ron Perlman.

Glenn Close plays yet another surprising role choice as an impoverished, cross-dressing butler in 19th-century Ireland, in the film 'Albert Nobbs.' With an impressive physical make-over to fit the role, it is expected that Close's acting genius in this film will give Meryl Streep's Margaret Thatcher (in 'The Iron Lady') a run for the best actress award at the 2012 Oscars. Close has played Nobbs in a stage play, and has since dreamt of taking the performance to the silver screen. 'Albert Nobbs' also stars Mia Wasikowska, Janet Mc Teer, Brendan Gleeson and Aaron Johnson.

Controversial and thought-provoking, Roland Emmerich's thrilling conspiracy drama 'Anonymous' tells of the Earl of Oxford who alledgedly really wrote William Shakespeare's plays. Rhys Ifans plays Edward de Vere, the playwright Earl, and Rafe Spall stars as Shakespeare. The cast includes real-life mother and daughter Vanessa Redgrade and Joely Richardson as the old and young Elizabeth I, respectively.

'The Descendants' is a heart-wrenching story of a father of 2 daughters, his comatose wife, and the man that the wife is sleeping with, behind his back. George Clooney plays the conflicted father who tries to keep the family together in the midst of emotional turmoil.

Other films that gained particular notice at the festival include the action-packed SWAT drama shot in Indonesia, 'The Raid', the French-language 'Cafe de Flore from Quebec filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallee (of 'The Young Victoria'), a Michelle Williams starrer 'Take This Waltz,' the new film with Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt set in Africa, 'Salmon Fishing in the Yemen,' and the much talked-about black-and-white silent movie valled 'The Artist,' that was a favorite at last spring's Cannes Film Festival.