Toronto International Film Festival

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Image:2005poster.jpg The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is widely considered to be one of the top film festivals in the world and is the premiere film festival in North America which the Oscars race begins from. By public attendance it is the world's largest film festival [1].

In 1998, Variety magazine acknowledged that "the Festival is second only to Cannes in terms of high-profile pics, stars and market activity." Quoted by the National Post in 1999, Roger Ebert claimed "...although Cannes is still larger, Toronto is more useful and more important...."

It begins the Thursday night after Labour Day (first Monday in September in Canada) and lasts for ten days. Between 300-400 films are screened at approximately 23 screens in downtown Toronto venues. Though the Festival in recent years has given more attention to mainstream Hollywood films than in the past, the Festival still maintains its indie roots, featuring retrospectives of national cinemas and individual directors, as well as highlights of Canadian cinema, in addition to the plethora of African, South American and Asian films that regularly show at the festival.

The festival is considered a launch pad for many studios to begin "Oscar-buzz" for their films; for example, Taylor Hackford's Ray premiered at the festival and garnered much attention for Jamie Foxx's portrayal of Ray Charles (for which he ultimately won the Academy Award for Best Actor).

Contents

History

TIFF began in 1976 as a collection of the best films from festivals around the world. It has since, through consistent investment and promotion by its organizers and sponsors, grown to become a vital component of Hollywood's marketing machine.

Many notable films have had their global or North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, including Chariots of Fire, The Big Chill, Husbands and Wives, Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, Downfall, and Sideways.

In 2004, Perspective Canada, the programme that had focused on Canadian films since 1984, was replaced by two programmes:

  • Canada First!, a forum for Canadian filmmakers presenting their first feature-length work, featuring eight to 15 films, and
  • Short Cuts Canada, which includes 30-40 Canadian short films.

The TIFF Group occasionally polls critics, programmers, and industry professionals, asking them to identify their Top 10 Canadian films. The TIFF Group has conducted three such polls, in 1984, 1993, and 2004.

The TIFF Group also maintains a library of videotapes submitted to the festival and of film materials as part of Cinematheque Ontario (which provides year round screening of classic films).

In 2007, a new facility at the corner of King and John (on land donated by Ivan Reitman and family) in Toronto will open providing extensive year-round galleries, cinemas, archives and activities for cinephiles.

Particular years

External links

See also

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