Toronto film festival 2011: the 20 key films - in pictures

Yep, there's definitely something slightly frightening about this pic from Albert Nobbs, Glenn Close's labour-of-love drama about a cross-dressing butler in 19th-century Ireland. But she and Meryl Streep (for The Iron Lady) are already locked in a smackdown for the 2012 best actress Oscar, so on that basis alone, Nobbs is a must-see. There's some serious class in the rest of the cast, too: Mia Wasikowska, Janet McTeer, Brendan Gleeson and Aaron Johnson Photograph: PR

File under 'daftly unmissable'. Roland Emmerich's Shakespeare conspiracy thriller Anonymous will get tongues wagging, whatever its kudos. Tache-tastic Rhys Ifans stars as Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford, aka the bloke who really wrote the plays, alongside Rafe Spall as fraudulent Shakey. Real-life mother and daughter Vanessa Redgrave and Joely Richardson are Elizabeth I, young and old Photograph: PR

A midwest butter-carving championship is the so-quirky-it-hurts backdrop for this comedy starring Jennifer Garner, Hugh Jackman, Olivia Wilde and Alicia Silverstone. Butter is the first major directorial effort from British comedy bit-parter Jim Field Smith, whose age alone (32) makes him one to watch Photograph: Larry Horricks/PR

The Deep Blue Sea. Tom Hiddleston plays the RAF pilot who has an affair with judge's wife Rachel Weisz in this glossy-looking Terence Davies adaptation of the Terence Rattigan play. Extra acting chops come courtesy of Simon Russell Beale, making a belated lead-role film debut as Weisz's husband Photograph: PR

The most eagerly anticipated film of the year? The new one from Alexander (Sideways) Payne, The Descendants stars George Clooney as a land baron who takes his two daughters on a road trip to meet the man who was having an affair with their mother, currently on life support. Fun for all the family! Photograph: PR

Joseph Gordon-Levitt so nearly sneaked a best actor Oscar nomination for his turn in 500 Days of Summer a couple of years back. 50/50, a similarly toned cancer comedy, gives him a second shot: scripted by Will Reiser (who himself developed the disease in his 20s), word-of-mouth on this is warm-to-glowing. Seth Rogen apparently excels as the best pal, Bryce Dallas Howard is the girlfriend, Anjelica Huston the mum, Anna Kendrick the novice therapist and Philip Baker Hall is the old codger who befriends Levitt on the ward Photograph: Chris Helcermanas-Benge/PR

Friends with Kids reunites Bridesmaids friends with benefits Kristen Wiig and John Hamm (as well as Chris O'Dowd and Maya Rudolph) in an ensemble drama about the impact of parenthood. Megan Fox and Ed Burns also feature. Should be fun, could be insufferable Photograph: PR

Into the Abyss. Werner Herzog follows Cave of Forgotten Dreams with a documentary about the legacy of a triple homicide in Texas. He talks to the victims' families, plus those convicted for the crime, including one man on death row, whom Herzog meets eight days before his execution Photograph: PR

Jeff Who Lives At Home. The Duplass brothers make a shout-out for mainstream success after years in mumblecore. This comedy drama about a man who thinks the universe is sending him signals about his destiny when he goes to run an errand for his mum features Susan Sarandon and Judy Greer, alongside Jason Segel (the only one to emerge from Bad Teacher well) and Ed Helms as the manboy leads
Photograph: Hilary Bronwyn G/PR

Keyhole. I'll leave it to the official festival blurb to describe Guy Maddin's latest, 'a surreal indoor odyssey of one man, Ulysses Pick (Jason Patric) struggling to reach his wife (Isabella Rosellini) in her bedroom upstairs'. Maddin's on serious form at the moment; on his native turf, he can't fail Photograph: PR

Controversy has dogged the production of Luc Besson's biopic of Aung San Suu Kyi. Fingers crossed that quality matches column inches for The Lady, starring Michelle Yeoh and David Thewlis Photograph: PR

Brad Pitt is in this photo, and a show-stopping sofa, too, yet still it somehow struggles to stir. Moneyball's plot – a baseball team manager finds fame by using computer-generated analysis to draft his players – likewise leaves the pulse pretty steady. But there's much Oscar buzz about this Jonah Hill/Philip Seymour Hoffman co-starring sports yarn Photograph: PR

There's a touch of The Joneses to The Oranges, Hugh Laurie's first live-action lead since Maybe Baby back in 1999: a family comedy about the upheavals of a young romance. Catherine Keener is Laurie's wife; Alia Shawkat and Adam Brody their sprogs. Leighton Meester, Oliver Platt and Allison Janney play their neighbours
Photograph: Myles Aronowitz

Some goo midst the grit: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, based on the terrific book by Paul Torday, adapted by Simon Beaufoy, directed by Chocolat purveyor Lasse Hallström. McGregor stars as a fisheries scientist who becomes involved in a project to bring salmon fishing to the Highlands of the Yemen. Emily Blunt is a local lass who may or may not hook his heart Photograph: PR

Sarah Palin: You Betcha! Nick Broomfield's documentary counterpoint to propagandist turkey The Undefeated looks easily the most headline-grabbing title of the competition Photograph: PR

I wasn't totally sold on Sarah Polley's 2006 directorial debut, Away From Her. But this followup, Take this Waltz, in which Michelle Williams plays a woman torn between husband Seth Rogen and their new neighbour (Luke Kirby), will be a hot ticket at Toronto, as well as a nice launchpad for native Canadian Polley (plus supporting star Sarah Silverman, taking on best friend duties) Photograph: PR

360. Fernando Meirelles still hasn't quite repeated the trick of his first major success, City of God. This latest shot is an erotic ensemble drama, adapted by Peter Morgan from Arthur Schnitzler's La Ronde, reuniting Meirelles with his Constant Gardener star Rachel Weisz, alongside the likes of Jude Law and Anthony Hopkins Photograph: PR

Trishna. Michael Winterbottom's revamp of Tess of the D'Urbervilles, set in contemporary India and starring Freida Pinto and Riz Ahmed, must be one of the most exciting prospects of this year's festival. Stand by for a slew of articles comparing it to Andrea Arnold's roughed-up Wuthering Heights, which premieres at Venice but also has a screening here Photograph: PR

Twixt. Ooooh-aaargh: Francis Ford Coppola's Edgar Allen Poe-inspired return to his horror roots looks like a fabulous opportunity for some serious scenery-guzzling by the likes of Val Kilmer and Ben Chaplin Photograph: PR

It's been seven years since My Summer of Love, Pawel Pawlikowski's ravishing drama (and 10 since the film that really launched him, Last Resort). Hopes are high, then, for The Woman in the Fifth, adapted from Douglas Kennedy's novel about a struggling writer (Ethan Hawke) who falls for a mysterious woman (Kristin Scott Thomas) while living in Paris. The Before Sunset vibes are probably incidental, but welcome nonetheless Photograph: PR