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Toronto International Film Festival

AlbertC

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TIFF still planning some type of physical festival, execs say

TIFF leaders spoke at video conference for We Are One: A Global Film Festival

The Canadian Press · Posted: May 28, 2020

Organizers of the Toronto International Film Festival say they're still planning to have some type of physical festival this year.

But TIFF executive director and co-head Joana Vicente adds "it's definitely going to look different."

Vicente spoke Thursday, along with TIFF artistic director and co-head Cameron Bailey, in a live video conference panel for We Are One: A Global Film Festival.

Tribeca Enterprises and YouTube produced and organized the free digital festival, which starts Friday and runs through June 7 with TIFF as a co-curator.

Vicente said like many festivals during the COVID-19 pandemic, TIFF is developing a digital platform for its annual movie marathon. Her comments echo those TIFF made last month, when it said it was still planning to go ahead with the festival from Sept. 10-21, but was also exploring new ways to screen films.

"We're developing, of course, as everyone else, a digital platform for the festival and at the same time we're still planning to have some physical festival," Vicente said in the We Are One video panel.

"It's definitely going to look different," she said. "We're trying to figure out how we can still deliver incredible experiences to our audience, and that's really front and centre."

 
TIFF lays off 31 full-time staff, cuts salaries amid revenue drop

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

The organization that runs the Toronto International Film Festival says the impact of COVID-19 is forcing more layoffs and slashing expected revenues.

A joint statement from TIFF co-heads Joana Vicente and Cameron Bailey says 31 employees have been let go, representing about 17 per cent of full-time staff.

They say the combined impact of various public health precautions including restrictions on travel and gatherings are expected to slash revenues to half of what they were in 2019. Cinemas at TIFF Bell Lightbox have been temporarily closed since March. When theatres are permitted to reopen, it likely won't be at full capacity.

Vicente and Bailey say the shortfall has also forced salary cuts at the executive, senior management and management levels; cancelled discretionary projects; and seen the organization rely on the federal wage subsidy to cover a portion of payroll.

 
TIFF announces David Byrne concert documentary ‘American Utopia’ directed by Spike Lee will open festival

July 21, 2020

The 45th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is still slated to run Sept. 10-19 and now it has an opening night film. Today, the festival announced that the Spike Lee-directed film version of David Byrne’s American Utopia concert will kick off the festivities on Sept. 10.

The film documents former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne’s Broadway show, where he performs on stage and shares the spotlight with 11 musicians from around the world, including Toronto’s own Jacquelene Acevedo.

“This joyful film takes audiences on a musical journey about openness, optimism, and faith in humanity,” says Joana Vicente, executive director and co-head of TIFF, who made the announcement today alongside Cameron Bailey, the festival’s other co-head and artistic director. “This is especially poignant at a time of great uncertainty around the world. We’re eager to share the excitement of opening night with audiences.”

 
I got tickets to five movies. I would have got six, but Ammonite was sold out before my window opened. Which is a good sign.
 

About 1/2 of these will get wide theatrical releases and are therefore poor choices to see at TIFF to me.

What I try to focus on with TIFF is movies you're unlikely to find in a cinema at any other time; or if you do, it will be for a single showing at the Light Box.
 
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About 1/2 of these will get wide theatrical releases and are therefore poor choices to see at TIFF to me.

What I try to focus on with TIFF is movies you're unlikely to find in a cinema at any other time; or if you do, it will be for a single showing at the Light Box.

Agreed.

I usually try to find something I'm completely unfamiliar with.
 
Agreed.

I usually try to find something I'm completely unfamiliar with.

To me it just makes sense, I don't know why I would pay a premium of 100% or more for a ticket to a movie I could watch 1 week to 2 months later at 1/2 the price or less, with less crowding and more choice of screen/seat.

If I'm going to pay extra, it's to get to experience something I simply can't experience, on the big screen any other way.

***

Additionally, I really enjoy films that allow me to see the world, a region, a situation through different eyes; it's refreshing and challenging.

*****

Edit to add, I'm not sure I'm going to go this year; so much chaos around tickets; and they bumped the prices again too.

I enjoyed the experience more when it was 'the people's festival' first; rather than industry confab first.
 
Well some people enjoy bragging about seeing a movie well before the mainstream release :), and there's also the Q&A session at the end. Having said that, I also prefer shows that I would be hard pressed to find in the theatres at all. Unfortunately prices are too outrageous to me - I had already settled with myself that the year before the Covid shutdown would be my last TIFF participation, and I had been going 20+ years straight buying the 20-30 ticket package. I will miss all those fun (but not necessarily good!) Midnight Madness shows for sure.
 

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