TORONTO

Toronto Raptor Patrick Patterson is an unabashed movie buff.

So after showing up four days into last year’s film festival, he made a point of arriving in the city early for the 40th edition.

And this year’s slate of films didn’t disappoint the 26-year-old power forward.

With TIFF winding down, we caught up with Patterson to get his picks for the best and worst moments from the fest and find out which celebrity he loved meeting.

Here’s what he had to say:

What films did you see at the Toronto Film Festival this year?

Let’s see, opening night, I saw Demolition with Jake Gyllenhaal. Then I saw The Lobster with Colin Farrell. After that I saw The Martian with Matt Damon. Then Sicario with Benicio Del Toro and Emily Blunt, February, Legend with Tom Hardy, Black Mass with Johnny Depp, Man Down with Shia LaBeouf, Mississippi Grind with Ryan Reynolds, a movie called Southbound, Hellions and The Family Fang with Jason Bateman. I finished up with Mr. Right and The Final Girls at Midnight Madness.

What was your favourite?

Part of me wants to say The Martian because of the story. Matt Damon’s stuck on Mars and he’s a botanist that has to find a way to survive. The film also has Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) who I’m a huge fan of. So part of me wants to say that, but The Martian is going to be an automatic No. 1 when it comes out because there’s so much hype about it. So one of my favourite surprises was Sicario. Man Down was also extremely surprising. I didn’t know where the movie was headed and Shia did such a great job acting and drawing us and keeping us hooked and confused. Sicario was a great action film; a great thriller with a nice twist at the end. I’m a big fan of Benicio Del Toro, I feel like he should be up for an award. So those ... were my top two surprise films.

Most disappointing?

The Lobster. The idea was great because it’s something we haven’t seen before ... The idea of finding love and if you don’t find love you get turned into an animal seemed interesting. And it started off strong, and then at some point it just lost me.

What are the Oscar frontrunners that came out of the festival?

You can’t go against The Martian, and you can’t go against Black Mass with Johnny Depp. Both those films relied heavily on the lead actors. Matt Damon, when he’s playing (astronaut Mark Watley) trapped on Mars, I assume he was working with just a green screen, by himself. But also the CGI and the rest of the cast made that film something else. With Black Mass, when the film started, I was waiting on Johnny to appear. I didn’t realize that’s him (playing James “Whitey” Bulger) until 15 minutes in. He did a great job getting in character. And it was an overall phenomenal movie.

What was your favourite part of being in Toronto for the festival?

I was around last year, but I showed up late. I didn’t know what the schedule was like or how TIFF worked. There were a bunch of films I didn’t get to see. But for me, the best part is seeing the actors ... Seeing the actors that I only get to see on the big screen, standing onstage answering questions from the public ... Seeing movies with my favourite actors and being able to say, ‘Yes, I’ve seen them in person.’ I love being around movies. I’m a movie fan and I love being in an environment where everyone loves movies just as much as me.

Which was your favourite TIFF theatre?

Roy Thomson Hall. When I saw The Martian, that was my very first time being inside. I walk by it all the time, but I’ve never been inside. For my first experience to be watching The Martian, in 3D, was an event. I also like the Winter Garden. I like how it’s set up and the decor; all the little knickknacks that make it special.

Who was the most memorable celebrity you met?

Kate Mara. You see her in movies, but she is absolutely gorgeous in person. She’s drop-dead beautiful. I saw her at The Martian and then again at Man Down. She’s just stunning.

Did you see her in Fantastic Four?

No, I haven’t seen that yet. I wanted to see it, but everyone keeps telling me it’s not that great. So I’m still up in the air with it. I might watch it if I’m on a plane and I’ve seen every other movie (on the in-flight entertainment) or I might watch it if it comes to Netflix.

What was your favourite movie of the summer?

The Avengers was pretty great.

What films are you most excited to see that are still coming this fall?

Star Wars; I was excited for that when they announced it. Pan, Goosebumps, Hunger Games, Creed and then Disney’s The Good Dinosaur.

Twitter: @markhdaniell