Toronto is a metropolis where various activities, events, presentations, and festivals take place every day. Today, we’ll talk about the Toronto International Film Festival. It is one of the most prestigious festivals not only in the city but in the world. Today, we’ll talk more about the history of TIFF’s founding and development. Read more about it on the website torontoski.info.
How It All Began
Initially, the Toronto International Film Festival was called the Toronto Festival of Festivals. It gathered the best films from other film festivals around the world. All these cinematic masterpieces were shown to the residents of Toronto.
The festival was founded by Bill Marshall, Dusty Cohl, and Henk Van der Kolk. In October 1976, the festival launched in Toronto. In total, 35,000 moviegoers watched 127 films from 30 countries, presented in ten programs.
The goal of the festival was to support the Canadian film industry and create a platform to showcase both Hollywood and independent films. It is worth noting that the festival’s opening faced some difficulties. It was originally planned to screen the Woody Guthrie biopic “Bound for Glory,” but it was pulled by the studio, United Artists.
The organizers found a solution to the difficult situation. The festival opened with the French film “Cousin, Cousine”. In its first year, the participation of major stars was limited, but Barbara Kopple’s documentary “Harlan County, U.S.A.” was a great success and later won an Oscar.
The Amazing Success of the International Film Festival
The name “International Film Festival” appeared in 1978. That same year, the festival moved from the Harbour Castle Hotel to the Plaza II. The festival’s director also changed. That year saw the controversial premiere of the film “In Praise of Older Women”. This film generated great interest and debate, and it also helped raise the festival’s reputation as a platform for screening provocative and innovative works.
It is worth noting that the number of galas immediately increased: from one to two per night. In addition, the Canadian Film Awards were included in the festival.
Although the festival was renamed, the name “Festival of Festivals” was kept as a brand. In 1994, this name was finally dropped. Also that year, the “Planet Africa” program was launched, which ran until 2005. This program was dedicated to African cinema and films from the African diaspora.
In the 1990s, the International Film Festival, or TIFF as it’s commonly known, became one of the largest and most influential film festivals in the world.
The TIFF People’s Choice Award deserves a separate mention. It is based on audience voting and has become an indicator of success during awards season. Interestingly, many winners of this award have gone on to win an Oscar: “Chariots of Fire,” “Life Is Beautiful,” “American Beauty,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” “The King’s Speech,” “Silver Linings Playbook,” “12 Years a Slave,” “The Imitation Game,” “La La Land,” and others.
1999 was an important year for the festival. The film “American Beauty” won the People’s Choice Award at TIFF. Later, the film won five Oscars, including Best Picture. This was a significant event, as the Toronto International Film Festival earned its reputation as an important platform for launching future Oscar winners. Nine years later, the film “Slumdog Millionaire” became a sensation at the festival. The movie subsequently won eight Oscars.
In 2010, TIFF moved into its new complex, the TIFF Bell Lightbox, which became its headquarters.
Stars at TIFF
The Toronto International Film Festival is a prestigious festival attended every year by famous actors, showbiz stars, and directors. Here are some of them:
- George Clooney. The world-famous actor and director presented his films at the festival: “The Ides of March” and “The Descendants”.
- Meryl Streep. This actress was featured at the event with the films “The Iron Lady” and “August: Osage County”.
- Leonardo DiCaprio. The crowd favourite has also attended the prestigious film festival. His roles in the films “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “The Revenant” were incredible.
- Jake Gyllenhaal. This actor also systematically attends TIFF with various projects.
- Jennifer Lawrence. The actress presented the films “Silver Linings Playbook” and “American Hustle” at the festival.
Overall, the Toronto International Film Festival is an important festival for showcasing new films. It is also a place where filmmakers and actors often meet. Over the years, the Toronto film festival has only become more popular. Every year, over 300 films from around the world are screened at TIFF. Over 250,000 visitors come to see the new films.
The Toronto International Film Festival plays an important role in promoting Canadian cinema and supporting new talent in the film industry.
We hope our material was informative for you and that you learned more about the history and development of the popular film festival.
Are you a fan of the Toronto International Film Festival? We look forward to your comments.