We’ve gone from famine to feast with potential black nominees for the Academy Awards. What a terrific turn of events.

After the first flush of fall movies have been seen in Toronto, Telluride and Venice, we now have an idea of how different the 2017 Oscars could be if campaigns are handled right. There’s a deluge of black nominees in the wings.

The one film we can only guess about is Denzel Washington’s “Fences.” But it’s conceivable since Kenny Leon directed the August Wilson play on Broadway to great success that the movie will be a Best Picture nominee. Viola Davis must be a Best Actress nominee, and is already tipped as a slam dunk. Washington himself could be nominated for Best Actor. The role of Corey in the play has always been a stand out, too. So newcomer Jovan Adepo could be a surprise nominee for Best Supporting Actor.

We’ve just seen “Moonlight” in Toronto. The big talk is that Naomie Harris will be nominated for Best Supporting Actor as the main character’s crack addicted mother. Harris gives a searing performance, and she’s the only actor whose character is a through line in the triptych of Barry Jenkins’ movie.

Then there are the women of “Hidden Figures.” Ten minutes of footage have been shown of this very possible Oscar nominee for Best Picture. Oscar winner Octavia Spencer and nominee Taraji P. Henson are the stars, and they could easily be Oscar nominees this year.

Another woman who’s taken the Oscar circuit by storm is Ruth Negga in Jeff Nichols’ “Loving.” I think she’s a long shot in a crowded field, but she has her fans and I count myself one of them,

Of course, Nate Parker’s “The Birth of a Nation” is going to be a Best Picture nominee. It may not win, but the film can’t be ignored. It’s too good and too important. Parker may fall short of a nomination because of his own problems, but Aja Naomi King as Cherry seems destined for Best Supporting Actress attention.

Mira Nair’s “The Queen of Katwe” is full of possibilities. David Oyelowo–robbed of a nomination for “Selma”– and Lupita Nyong’o, an Oscar winner already– could very well be in the spotlight.

Last, Dev Patel in Garth Davis’s “Lion” carries this emotional film about a young man’s journey to find his literal identity. “Lion” is a certain Best Picture nominee, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Patel’s performance and the story of his character, Saroo, doesn’t resonate big time with audiences and Oscar voters. It’s a remarkable film.

And that doesn’t include all the other categories. John Legend appears in and sings his own song in “La La Land.” That movie could yield THREE Best Song nominations including Legend’s. There are also plenty of ‘secondary’ categories. I cast a vote now for Bradford Young, cinematographer of “Arrival,” whose work in “Selma” and “A Most Violent Year” should have yielded him nominations. He’s over-ready for his moment.

Brace yourselves because everything we heard about Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land” is true. The 31 year old director of “Whiplash” has whipped up what is likely to be an enormous box office hit and multiple award winner. Emma Stone is so sublimely fetching as Mia, and Ryan Gosling is such a great leading man in this tale of ill-fated romance that riffs on Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire musicals (as well as Woody Allen’s “Everyone Says I Love You”) that they each throw their hats into the Oscar race.

The mesmerizing, enchanting story of Mia — writer and aspiring actress–and jazz pianist Sebastian– is simultaneously old fashioned and contemporary. Chazelle sets them in a kind of ether– their cars suggest the 70s or early 80s but their music is big band and traditional jazz of the 30s, 40s, or 50s.(Three songs from the early 80s are included as reference points.)

In “La La Land,” rock and roll doesn’t exist, neither does anything that isn’t lushly orchestrated. A dozen or more original songs have been written by Chazelle’s collaborator and former Harvard roommate, Justin Hurwitz, that are bound for Oscar glory. Two of them, “City of Stars” and “Audition”- sung respectively by Gosling and Stone– are going to be heard regularly. Stone’s big moment singing “Audition” is like Jennifer Hudson in “Dreamgirls”–almost impossible to beat. Plus, John Legend, who’s credited an executive producer, appears in the movie as an actor and sings his new composition called “Start a Fire.” He is a revelation. The Interscope soundtrack is going to be for movie music what “Hamilton” has been for Broadway.

“La La Land” got some wild, long standing ovation last night, just as it did in Venice. It won’t be released until December 1st, but hang on — Chazelle has given us such a wonderful holiday present. More to come…

PS This is a Lions Gate movie, and should give a boost to that company’s drifting stock price.

“The Promise”– the first ever Hollywood movie about the Armenian genocide of 1915-17– debuted last night in Toronto to standing ovation. Famed director Terry George made the film, funded by late billionaire Kirk Kerkorian– starring Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac. The sweeping epic is gorgeous, beautifully acted, and exacting in its laying blame on Turkey for exterminating 1.5 million Armenians.

The movie is notable because this week is the 100th anniversary of the genocide, the first Holocaust of the 20th century. “The Promise” also raises questions about the current waves of ethnic cleansing coming from Syria and the immigration of millions of refugees.

“The Promise” also serves as a counterpoint to the evacuation of millions of Jews from Russia around the same time, the story that most of us know from “Fiddler on the Roof.”

George, whose “Hotel Rwanda” is a modern classic, couldn’t film in Turkey as he once did in Africa. So he used Spain and Malta to re-create the Armenians’ tragedy, and the results are stunning. His screenplay, polished up from one by Robin Swicord, begins with a long exposition of life in Turkey for a love triangle played by a sensational Oscar Isaac as a young Armenian medical student, Christian Bale as an American reporter for the Associated Press, and Charlotte Le Bon as the beautiful daughter of a famous musical conductor.

Some of that is plodding, but it gives the film a narrative foundation for later in the story when the Turks go on the attack and the Armenians go on the run. “The Promise” switches into high gear at that point, and becomes incredibly absorbing as George depicts the horrors of Turkey attempting to wipe out an entire race. Turkey– which has never acknowledged the genocide or apologized for it– will not be too happy with this story, that’s for sure.

“The Promise” was funded by late billionaire former MGM owner Kirk Kerkorian, who died last year at age 98. It was his vision to see the story put on the big screen for a wide audience. He’s gotten his wish. Again, the budget looks like it was pretty high as production values are as good as I’ve ever seen in a film like this. “The Promise” is a visual feast.

In the audience last night– Canadian director Atom Egoyan, who made his own Armenian genocide film back in 2002– and writer/director Jim Sheridan, who has collaborated with George on films like “The Boxer” and “In the Name of the Father.”

Clint Eastwood has had a lot of hits in his 60 years in Hollywood–whether acting, directing or both.

But this weekend, at age 86, he’s had had his biggest opening ever directing Tom Hanks in “Sully.” The powerful Warners feature made $35.5 million in its first three days, exceeding everyone’s expectations.

The reviews and box office for “Sully” absolutely put the film into the Best Picture race, with Hanks and Eastwood securing their positions as well.

Eastwood’s second biggest film, “American Sniper,” had a limited opening in 4 theatres. When it expanded very wide it made $89 million on its second weekend. “Sniper” finished at $350 million, which would be a wild goal for “Sully.” But you never know. “Sully” should have a long life in theatres.

I like what happened tonight in Toronto at the Princess of Wales Theatre: all bets are off now for the Oscars as there is a surprise entry. Garth Davis’s magnificent “Lion” roared to life at its first screening anywhere and absolutely killed it. Applause began the minute the movie ended, there was cheering, and a real standing ovation.

This last out of left field upheaval came courtesy of Harvey Weinstein, who has been in a slump since “The Imitation Game.” He has needed a hit for some time, and tonight he brought it. “Lion” has a good pedigree– it comes from the producers of “The King’s Speech.” They know what they’re doing. So does Davis, an Aussie, who worked for some time with Nicole Kidman to get this right. And she is so good that I predict an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress and maybe a win.

The star of the movie, set in India, is Dev Patel, also the star of “Slumdog Millionaire.” As Saroo Brierly, a real life Indian man who disappeared in 1986 from his home at age 5, was moved to an adoptive family in Australia, and wasn’t reunited with his mother for 25 years, Patel is stunning. This actor is  a man now. Gone is the chattering boy from “Best Exotic Hotel” and HBO’s “The Newsroom” with a lot of endearing tics. Patel is the real thing now.

Saroo is played by a real five year old, however, for the amazing first third of the film. Sunny Pawar is the child star of the year, the Jacob Tremblay of 2016. Because he is so charming and honest, Davis is able to shape a foundation for “Lion” that resonates right through to the end. When Patel is introduced as adult Saroo, and Rooney Mara is added as his girlfriend, the story goes from fanciful and bleak to real. Saroo, raised by adoptive parents played by Kidman and David Wenham, realizes he must find his birth home if he’s going to be not “lost” anymore.

Yes, “Lion” is what they call a three hankie operation. You may actually need a box of tissues. No one in the audience gets out alive. You will hear sobbing in your theater. In many ways, the story of Saroo parallels the one from “The Color Purple.” Saroo’s one objective is to be reunited with his mother and brother. His journey is memorable.

Kidman is just sensational as his adoptive mother. And I’m telling you now, she has a speech toward the end that will make Oscar voters turn cartwheels it’s so good. Kidman draws on what we know of her real life and it’s wrenching. She also looks the best she has in any film in years.

So open the cage. “Lion” jumps into the fray that already includes Birth of a Nation, La La land, Snowden, Nocturnal Animals, Fences and many many more. Oscar season has now begun!

Lady Gaga released her new single “Perfect Illusion” yesterday and it was a perfect launch. She’s already scored 5.6 million views on YouTube, and the single is number 1 on iTunes. The song is a blatant rebuke to her ex fiancee, TV actor Taylor Kinney. “It was a perfect illusion,” Gaga sings, rocking out, and notes “it wasn’t love.”

Sad. But you know, break up songs are all the rage in this generation. And they’re never subtle, like Carole King’s “It’s Too Late” or humorous, like Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain.”

“Perfect Illusion” is fun and has a great chorus! It’s also just a taste of what’s to come in Lady Gaga’s new album. Don’t sweat it with a lot of navel gazing. Just dance.

Nate Parker’s “The Birth of a Nation” opened last night with two screenings at the Toronto Film Festival. It’s a powerful, unforgettable film that can’t be ignored box office wise or for awards attention. It’s all the more interesting because this is Parker’s first film as a director, and he’s pulled it off skillfully.

Regardless of the controversy surrounding it, “Birth” is a huge accomplishment. Parker gives a mesmerizing performance, but there’s also exceptional work from Armie Hammer, Penelope Ann Miller, Aja Naomi King, Colman Domingo, Gabrielle Union, et al. So yeah, in any other situation, “Birth of a Nation” would be a slam dunk.

But then what to do? As with Mel Gibson (who is bizarrely included on a list of thank yous in the end credits), how do we separate the art from the artist? Everyone knows by now the tragic situation: Parker was acquitted in 20o1 of a vicious campus rape at Penn State.

To make matters worse, the accuser killed herself in 2012. Parker’s “Birth” co-screenwriter Jean Celestin, also participated in the college attack. He was convicted, but that was overturned on appeal. And no one, not even Fox Searchlight– which paid a record $17 million at Sundance to release the film, knew all this until it came spilling out a couple of weeks ago.

This is all a huge headache for the studio, and for everyone. It’s very hard not to think about Parker’s saga (and the details are much worse if you search them out) while “Birth” unspools. That’s because rape is a central theme in the movie, and the story overall is obviously very violent. Racism is bad enough, but the American history of slavery is the worst blot on our 240 year history. Parker is unsparing in depicting it all, too. We’ve seen it before in “Roots” or “12 Years a Slave,” but this is yet another chapter. Slavery was the American Holocaust, and it overshadows all the heroism and patriotic flag waving we so embrace. How in the world could this have existed?

This pivotal moment in American history shouldn’t have been ignored for so long. It was really only in the culture because of William Styron’s novel, “The Confessions of Nat Turner,” written by a white Southerner. The novel has become the target of critics since its publication. So now we have a young black man telling the story of another young black man– how could this film not resonate far and wide in 2016?

Last night at the Q&A following the second screening, there was no mention of Parker’s history. The audience was way too polite and tired to raise a ruckus. There was a standing ovation, but it was restrained. The real test will come tomorrow– Sunday — morning at the press conference. That will be the first indication of what Parker and Fox Searchlight face as they try to bring this important film to audiences.