Today marks the opening of the 31st Annual Toronto International Film Festival, which I will be covering for In Contention.

Every year, some films open here and fall flat while others start their expected Oscar campaigns. Still more start their runs out of nowhere. This is the hour when some films rise up, others fail and Oscar procrastinators are challenged with separating hype from reality. The technical races are no different from the so-called “major” races in this regard.

So let’s look at what I consider to be the biggest question marks of this year’s festival.

1. What is the fate of “All the King’s Men?”

This is possibly the biggest question mark of the festival. Despite having a star-studded cast and being the adaptation (by an Oscar winner) of a prestigious book, Steven Zaillian’s “All the King’s Men” has been significantly delayed and was rumored to have suffered a troubled shoot. That said, Sean Penn certainly seems to be reaching for Oscar in the trailer (it’s a role the Academy would eat up if the film is good), and two of Penn’s co-stars, Jude Law and Kate Winslet, will have other high-profile Oscar releases that could certainly help.

Production designer Patrizia Von Brandenstein has been out of the Oscar game for almost 20 years after scoring three nominations (including a win for her unforgettable work on “Amadeus” over two decades ago). While it’s disappointing to see her work on “Goya’s Ghosts” looking less and less likely to be a player in this year’s awards race, she might still make a run here.

Marit Allen has been a costuming films for over 25 years. Last year, her understated work on the instant classic “Brokeback Mountain” never really got awards traction but put another memorable film on her resume (which already included “Dead Man,” “Eyes Wide Shut” and “Mrs. Doubtfire”). “All the King’s Men” could be her most awards-friendly project to date.

From the trailer, it seems as though Pawel Edelman’s lighting could be absolutely exquisite – which shouldn’t be surprising to those who’ve watched his career blossom. Edelman was an unknown in America before garnering an Oscar nod for “The Pianist” in 2002, though he was a somewhat surprising omission for his work on “Ray.” That snub could help him this time around, or it could be an indication that the branch hasn’t warmed up to him yet.

And then there’s James Horner. The seemingly ubiquitous composer will have “Apocalypto” and “The Good Shepherd” on the way in December, in addition to his work here. Which one will garner awards attention? Or which ones?

2. How much of a stateside hit will “Babel” be?

After causing a tremendous stir at Cannes, including winning the Best Director prize, the third collaboration between director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu and writer Guillermo Arriaga will have its North American debut at in Toronto. From this vantage point, the film seems poised to be a major critical favorite. But to what degree will North American critics embrace it? And what about North American audiences? Though the film has been considered Iñárritu’s most accessible to date, his work still lives in a world of its own.

If “Babel” is a hit in Toronto, one would surely have to look to the editing of Douglas Crise and Stephen Mirrione. Mirrione won an Oscar for Steven Soderbergh’s “Traffic” in 2000 when he was given the responsibility to blend multiple storylines into a coherent, ensemble film. His somewhat surprising snub for last year’s wonderfully concise “Good Night, and Good Luck.” could help his pursuit of a second nod.

And then there are the “Brokeback Mountain” alumni: composer Gustavo Santaolalla (coming directly off a win) and cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (who was considered the favorite in the eyes of many going into last year’s Oscar ceremony). Typically, Prieto’s work does not represent the sort that the Academy usually goes for. And Santaolalla’s scores also tend to be the kind of unique yet minimalist work that the music branch doesn’t always warm up to. Ultimately, Toronto should clear things up and announce the film’s potential throughout the various technical branches. Unanimous critical approval is always a good first step in that regard.

3. Will the campaign for “Copying Beethoven” acquire some much-needed fuel?

Biopic. Deaf. Dying. On paper, this seems like a great Oscar opportunity for Ed Harris. But surely a film about Ludwig von Beethoven will create equal opportunities for the technicians who must transport the film to Germany in the early 1800s, right?

Costume designer Jany Temine has been up-and-coming as of late with her work on the latest two “Harry Potter” movies. She’ll also be outfitting Alfonso Cuarón’s “Children of Men” this year. Meanwhile, Oscar winner Trefor Proud (“Topsy-Turvy”) is in charge of the makeup department, while Caroline Amies has been given a real opportunity to make her mark in the world of art direction. All three could be major contenders alongside Harris when the storm settles. But Miramax Films will need to pan out their prospects, what with “The Hoax,” “The Queen” and “Venus” all being performance-driven films with equal tech potential.

Or is there ultimately a reason “Copying Beethoven” wasn’t picked up by a studio after being in the can for a year?

4. Is The Weinstein Company poised to dominate the second time around with “Bobby” and “Breaking and Entering?”

Six Golden Globes nominations, including a win, and four Oscar nominations wasn’t a bad start for The Weinstein Company last year. The achievement is all the more exceptional when you consider “The Matador,” “Mrs. Henderson Presents” and “Transamerica” were hardly considered instant classis. How the brothers will fare in their second year post-Miramax is still uncertain, but eyes will soon be set upon their upcoming awards hopefuls.

Anthony Minghella’s “Breaking and Entering” will be a departure from the sweeping period pieces that made him famous. Cinematographer Benoît Delhomme has already received fine press for his work on “The Proposition” earlier this year, which can only crutch his awards potential on Minghella’s film. But it will still be a daunting task to follow in the footsteps of Minghella regular John Seale. Meanwhile, composer Gabriel Yared will be returning to the team after having been nominated for his past three collaborations with the director. Can he do it again?

Emilio Estevez’s “Bobby” has a cast bursting with talent. On paper the film seems the sort the Academy would fall for, fit with themes and nostalgia that speaks directly to the boomer generation that dominates its membership. Regardless, some still have doubts about Estevez’s abilities behind the camera, and with reason. “Men at Work” wasn’t exactly an awards magnet (EDITOR’S NOTE: I don’t care what anyone says, that film is a classic! --Kris).

Regardless, if the film is on target, Julie Weiss’s costumes could be worthy of consideration, while veteran editor Richard Chew (“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Star Wars”) could certainly be a contender for piecing together the multiple story lines. “Crash” and “Traffic” have managed to win the editing award in recent years with similar structures. Finally, composer Mark Isham might also have a big year between this and Brian De Palma’s “The Black Dahlia”. It has been fourteen years since he was nominated for “A River Runs Through It”. Odds are he’ll return eventually.

5. "What films are going to come up and surprise us”

We could sit here all day and crank out more and more queries, but if there’s one thing that this festival has showed us in years past, it is that surprises happen. Few thought “Capote” would be anything more than a showcase for Philip Seymour Hoffman last year, while “Lost in Translation” was all about Bill Murray at this same point in 2003. “Hotel Rwanda” was on no one’s radar before the 2004 festival awarded it the highest honor.

By that same token, what could happen this year in the tech categories? Could Phillippe Le Sourd’s photography of the French countryside in Ridley Scott’s “A Good Year” actually be awards fodder?

Could “The Magic Flute” end Kenneth Branagh’s recent slump?

“Venus”, despite its contemporary setting, seems to have some interesting design elements, notably the production design of Emmy and BAFTA winner John Paul Kelly. Could the film be a contender beyond Peter O’Toole’s Best Actor buzz?

Might Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy have supplied “For Your Consideration” with original songs worthy of awards recognition?

Will “Volver” be the first film from Pedro Almodóvar to actually garner attention for José Luis Alcaine’s cinematography or Alberto Iglesias’s score? Both always do top-notch work for the great Spanish auteur.

Is “Little Children” going to be enough of a critical favourite to help the campaigns for Leo Trombetta’s editing and, most notably, Thomas Newman’s score?

“The Fountain” is the sort of film that could have across-the-board tech potential. But the fact that NONE of its technicians have received Oscar love before will necessitate it being a substantial sized hit with both critics and the public.

What film that NOBODY is talking about will garner serious traction?

Lots of questions. We’ll have a better idea of the upcoming awards landscape in two weeks’ time…hopefully.