The story
Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto
TIFF has run every September since 1976, growing from a festival built on films already screened elsewhere into one of the most closely watched premieres-and-buzz events in world cinema. Public ticket sales set it apart from more invite-only festivals, letting ordinary filmgoers queue alongside industry insiders for premieres, director Q&As and the closely tracked People's Choice Award. Downtown venues anchored by TIFF Bell Lightbox host the bulk of the roughly eleven-day run.
TIFF began in 1976 as the Festival of Festivals, an event built around films already praised elsewhere, before rebranding under its current name in the early 1990s and growing into one of the most closely watched film festivals anywhere.