by Kathy Jia
September of every year, the silver screens of Toronto premiere hundreds of new films from around the world.
Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), is a cultural organization with a mission to transform the way people see the world through film. In the 2019 festival, 333 films from 84 countries were screened on 27 screens at 8 venues — these venues are the TIFF Bell Lightbox, Princess of Wales Theatre, Roy Thomson Hall, Glenn Gould Studio, Art Gallery of Ontario, Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre, Ryerson University, and Cineplex Cinemas Scotiabank Theatre.
36% of the titles were directed, co-directed, or created by women, and 21 of the films were about experiences and issues pertinent to the LGBTQ+ community. #ShareHerJourney, a 5-year initiative launched in 2017, aims to increase participation, skills, and opportunities for women behind and in front of the film industry’s cameras. It is an umbrella campaign having raised $2.4 million out of its $3 million goal to jumpstart programs such as The Micki Moore Residency, a 10-week mentorship programme for emerging female screenwriters, and The RBC Female Creator Initiative, which fosters the development of women’s artistic skills, mentorship, and year-round networking opportunities through female participation in the new TIFF Producer Accelerator Programme, and in the TIFF Filmmaker Lab.
TIFF’s regular film award winners are usually announced at the end of the festival. However, the festival announced in July that Meryl Streep would be the inaugural recipient of the TIFF Tribute Actor Award, a lifetime achievement award to honour distinguished work in film acting. The rest of the award winners were announced through social media in September, foregoing the traditional awards ceremony in light of the fact that international filmmakers are rarely still in Toronto to accept their awards in person by the end of the festival. The People’s Choice Award went to “Jojo Rabbit” directed by Taika Waititi, the Best Canadian Feature Film went to “Antigone” directed by Sophie Deraspe, and the Best Canadian Short Film went to “Delphine” directed by Chloé Robichaud.
Aside from the festival in September, TIFF also has year-round events and exhibitions. In February, there is the TIFF Next Wave Film Festival, a youth film festival with free movies for ages 25 and under. On top of that, there are films screening at the TIFF Bell Lightbox every day, with tickets and popcorn for sale, just as any other movie theatre would have.
If you have even the slightest interest in film and international media, TIFF would be an excellent organization to get involved with. For volunteer opportunities, screenings, events, and more, visit their website tiff.net, facebook @TIFF, twitter @TIFF_NET, or instagram @tiff_net.
All photographs used are courtesy of Sharron Lou, instagram @sharronxlou.
