With global attention trained on the looming US election, the Toronto film festival looked back this week at American political figures Jacqueline Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and a young Barack Obama.

Filmmakers are "looking backward to discover some of the lessons of the past that are relevant today," said Piers Handling, co-director of North America's largest film festival, often seen as a good predictor of the US Academy Awards.

Natalie Portman received a standing ovation on Sunday for her intimate portrayal of Jacqueline Kennedy in Chilean director Pablo Larrain's Jackie.