The Toronto International Film Festival is Canada’s most prestigious film festival and one of the most highly regarded festivals in the world. Every September, many highly anticipated films have their world or North American premieres in our next-door neighbour, Ontario.
This year, I got to witness the festival for the very first time for a single day. I arrived to King Street, which was closed from Peter Street to University Avenue to create Festival Street, a pedestrian-only area filled with brand activations and freebies. As you walk along the road, festival-goers can be seen enjoying free coffee from Lavazza, mouthwash from Listerine, ramen, sushi, and so much more. Cinephiles were also delighted by a mobile Criterion Collection truck, where lines were hours long to snag any 3 DVDs from the Criterion Collection. These moments allowed for entertainment outside of the films alone, keeping people busy and fed between premieres.
Red carpets lined all the major theatres on King, where fans once again lined up for hours to see their favourite actors, directors, and producers up close. I was on the red carpet for the Canadian premiere of Hamnet, where I was graced by the presence of Paul Mescal, Chloe Zhao, and Jessie Buckley.
I unfortunately had no tickets to any films, so I decided to join the rush line—a first-come first-served option to fill any empty seats remaining after a film begins. My friend and I sat there, took turns getting food, and chatted with the people among us in line (this was a lot more fun than it sounds).
We made it into the world premiere of Nuremberg at the Roy Thompson Hall. Directed by James Vanderbilt and starring Russell Crowe, Rami Malek, Michael Shannon and Leo Woodall, the film was an exploration of The Nuremberg Trials after WWII. After a moving few hours, the film ended and the stars and director joined the stage for a Q&A period.
Luckily enough, I was able to make it into the next film at Roy Thompson Hall as well, the world premiere of Eternity, directed by David Freyne and starring Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller, Callum Turner, Academy Award winning Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and John Early. This film was a hilarious and moving story about the afterlife and ordinary love. Once again, the film’s director and actors engaged in a Q&A following the screening, answering both moderator and audience questions.
The day at TIFF was long and exhausting but equally thrilling. The calibre of the films, festivals, and star power in a 5 block radius is absurd and amazing for film fanatics and casual moviegoers alike.
Unfortunately, I didn’t attend any after parties, but maybe next year… 😉