The Artist (2011)

Michel Hazanavicius' black-and-white dramedy The Artist earned 10 nominations and a total of five wins at the 2012 Oscar ceremony. Michel won in the directing category, lead actor Jean Dujardin picked up the Best Actor trophy, and the film snagged the Best Picture win as well, becoming the first French film to score the prize. But buzz began building long before the Oscar red carpets were rolled out, with TIFF being part of the process. The festival screened the film in 2011 and audiences responded favorably, arguably lighting the fire that would carry the movie to great heights.