Kristen Stewart heads to the Toronto Film Festival

The Toronto film festival opened on Thursday with action movie "Looper" starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, however it was "Twilight" star Billy burke who attracted the largest buzz on the red carpet in the star-studded festival scattered with Oscar hopefuls.

Anticipation was high for just one of the world's premier film festivals that coming off Venice helps mark the start of Hollywood's awards season. Filmmakers view it as crucial launching pad and Toronto has previously propelled such films as "The King's Speech" to take to success in the Academy Awards.

Ben Affleck, Selena Gomez, Halle Berry, Tom Hanks and rapper-turned reggae wannabe Snoop Dogg, now referred to as Snoop Lion, are all among a lineup of top stars because of appear.

But it was Kristen Stewart who wowed the red carpet, signing autographs to streams of cheering fans in her own first media appearance since issuing a unique public apology for cheating on long-term boyfriend and "Twilight" co-star Robert Pattinson with British film director Rupert Sanders.

Without directly talking about the scandal,  Kristen Stewart, 22, told Reuters she was thankful "to realize that everyone is here" and the support she referred to as "amazing" before she walked in to the premiere of "On The Road" according to Jack Kerouac's seminal book from the postwar Beat Generation.

In a nearby theater, "Looper," a futuristic action blockbuster featuring Gordon Levitt and Bruce Willis a good assassin haunted by his time-traveling future self, officially began the 11-day festival which will screen more than 280 films.