A similar rethink should be considered for the opening-night slot, which this year hosted the tepidly received Canadian documentary. Programmers have the best of intentions here but the sketchiest track record.
While the TIFF team is busy seeking new ways to grow and flourish with the changing landscape, a plea: kill Festival Street. Closing a stretch of King Street West to traffic for four days makes it easier to navigate the festival, but only marginally. So many brand activations crowded the space this year that I actively avoided it.
If TIFF so badly relies on the sponsorship dollars Festival Street’s corporate partners bring in, then hive them off near David Pecaut Square for the duration of the festival and let the city’s commuters go about their business. The rest of Toronto would certainly hate TIFF less. And then everyone could concentrate on what the festival does best: celebrating films and the artists who make them possible.
Director Alanis Obomsawin has spent much of her career documenting injustices facing Indigenous peoples in Canada. Her latest project examines the legal battle surrounding the law known as Jordan's Principle, which was supposed to guarantee equal access to health care and services. Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger is launching at the Toronto International Film Festival.Live your best.