Toronto International Film Festival
The last weekend of TIFF is always bittersweet. On one hand, you’re so sleep-deprived from all the morning/early afternoon screenings that it’s a relief to have your regular schedule back in order. And yet, on the other, you feel a pang in your gut as you realize that the end is nigh – no more friendly crowds, no more of those endearingly irritating commercials, no more Q&As and no more beautiful venues to ogle over as you wait for the programmer to introduce the film (and TIFF has some cool programmers, too).
Another day of school on Wednesday (September 14th) allowed me to take a break from my TIFFing, which was welcome. However, I was back on the town the next day, my sixth of what would be nine days in total. After the first weekend, TIFF starts to wind down:
Hundreds of thousands of moviegoers, press, and industry players descend on Canada every year for the Toronto International Film Festival. Eleven days of red carpets, screenings, junkets, and presentations cause a gluttonous amount of content to stream out of the city, covering everything from awards season contenders to fashion faux pas. It’s difficult to imagine anything getting missed by the avalanche, but those who attend know just how immense the festival is.
When I go to TIFF, I like to mix it up: if I get a ticket to a hot title, I’ll also check out something lesser known (or without a distributor). Most times, my screening schedule alternates so that buzzy films and unknown quantities are spaced out fairly evenly.
Ah, TIFF. A film lover’s delight, and for a little ol’ Canuck like me, the perfect time to indulge in all the fun and excitement of a festival without having to travel thousands of miles. Ever since I attended my first festival in 2011, I’ve found no reason to stop coming back.