Toronto International Film Festival 2020 opens today in a different format

TIFF like all other cultural industries had been hit hard with the worldwide health crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although participants acknowledge the benefits of various adaptations the festival has made due to coronavirus, it's still unclear what effects a largely virtual event will have on those who rely on it for networking opportunities and to jump-start their careers.

The number of titles for the TIFF has been culled by the Organizers of TIFF from over 330 in 2019 to roughly 50 this year and did not schedule red carpets or in-person talks.

Moving the festival from the big screen to a computer screen not only poses more risks than just the energy of the audience but has also lessened the excitement of star sightings for festival-goers.

The filmmakers also have less opportunity to directly engage with the festival, and each other.

For the first time in its history, TIFF, in partnership with Shift72 has developed and launched a digital platform for the Festival giving new opportunities to connect with audiences beyond Toronto. Over the 10 days, the platform will host digital screenings, as well as numerous talks and special events.

Collaborating with the Province of Ontario, the City of Toronto, and public health officials on the safe execution of the Festival, TIFF's number-one priority is the health and well-being of both Festival filmgoers and the residents of the entire community.

For 2020, TIFF will be welcoming TIFF Ambassadors, 50 celebrated filmmakers, and actors invited to help TIFF deliver a strong Festival this year for the film industry.

They will include Ava DuVernay, Taika Waititi, Anurag Kashyap, Nicole Kidman, Martin Scorsese, Nadine Labaki, Alfonso Cuarón, Tantoo Cardinal, Riz Ahmed, Rian Johnson, Jason Reitman, Isabelle Huppert, Claire Denis, Atom Egoyan, Priyanka Chopra, Viggo Mortensen, Zhang Ziyi, David Oyelowo, Lulu Wang, Rosamund Pike, Sarah Gadon, and Denis Villeneuve, to name a few.

Launched in 2019, the TIFF Tribute Awards would be presented this year virtually to acknowledge and celebrate outstanding contributors to the film industry, including the remarkable talents and contributions of Meryl Streep, Taika Waititi, Mati Diop, and Joaquin Phoenix.

Now in its third year, TIFF’s Media Inclusion Initiative will continue to accredit eligible Black, Indigenous, people of color, LGBTQ+, and women emerging film critics who are working towards making their voices heard in the press corps.

TIFF's new feature this year is offering access to 250 under-represented emerging filmmakers from around the world.

As a non-profit, TIFF’s For the Love of Film Fund was launched earlier this spring and supports TIFF’s work to reimagine the in-cinema experience in the digital age for its audiences, and invests in TIFF’s recovery and the future of film. 

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)