The Toronto International Film Festival has come roaring back.
After two years of pandemic precautions, TIFF 2022 will be fully in-person and especially celebratory.
And no one is happier about that than TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey.
“It’s great to be back to gather in a way we haven’t seen in a couple of years,” said Bailey in a recent interview. “We have tons of amazing stuff we were able to get and it feels good to see the city open up more and more.”
Bailey credits his “amazing team” with the Herculean task of pulling it all back together post-pandemic.
“It’s not something any one person could do alone. We banded together.
“We knew we wanted to come back strong and we just worked on it.”
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Bailey’s “tons of amazing stuff” includes 63 world premieres, such as Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans, Sally El Hosaini’s The Swimmers, Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Woman King, Clement Virgo’s Brother and Tobias Lindhold’s The Good Nurse.
Sarah Polley’s highly-anticipated new film, Women Talking, is on the slate, and a slew of other films — Decision To Leave,The Eternal Daughter, Holy Spider,The Whale, My Policeman and so many more — are generating massive buzz.
Among hundreds of other celebrities, Viola Davis, Eddie Redmayne and Taylor Swift will be here as part of the “In Conversation” program.
And generation-spanning superstar Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once; Crazy Rich Asians; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) will be here to receive the inaugural TIFF Share Her Journey Groundbreaker Award.
With “content” available everywhere now from umpteen sources, one of the coolest things about TIFF for many film-goers is its curatorial role.
“It’s hard to figure out what you want to see, what’s going to speak to you,” said Bailey.
“We try to find the best work, the work that has the strongest impact … and the kinds of films and series that are going to be significant to the culture, that will mean something, that will move the art forms forward.”
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To present 200 features and 50 short films at TIFF, said Bailey, “we watch thousands and thousands of films to winnow it down and we hope in our selections there’s something for everyone, that people will find the work that’s going to mean the most to them.”
On the cusp of TIFF 2022, Bailey said he was proud to have “kept the light shining” for the fest over the pandemic years with drive-in movies, streaming, and whatever it took.
“We had to keep our eyes on the mission, which is to bring films to people, because we think films can be really transformative in our lives. They can be great entertainment, but they can be so much more.
“So that light was important and we never let go of that.”
Now we’re back at last to experiencing movies in theatres with many other people, and that’s important, “because to feel it together is bigger than whatyou might feel on your own. It amplifies laughter, and suspense and excitement,” said Bailey.
“That’s what we kept our eye on and I’m proud we’re able to bring that back to audiences, and in a massive way this year.”
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A CULTURAL AND FINANCIAL PHENOMENON
For all the glitz and glamour, TIFF works hard to offer something for everyone — such as free movies, music and family-friendly activities on “Festival Street,” that strip of King W. between Peter St. and University Ave. that becomes an open-air market during the festival.
TIFF is also a huge financial boon to our city, and not just for the $114 million in tourist and entertainment dollars it attracts.
“TIFF’s success is part of our city’s overall success in massively growing and expanding our film sector,” says Mayor John Tory.
Toronto reached historic investments with more than $2.5 billion in direct spending in film, television and digital media productions in 2021, said the Mayor, “and we are experiencing rapid growth and momentum again in 2022.”
The work to attract new investments in the screen industry and, most importantly, create new jobs and retain the thousands of jobs already here, “is helped so much by TIFF,” said Tory.
“The overall film and TV sector will be a vital part of the city’s economic recovery following the pandemic and I am counting on TIFF to once again deliver for Toronto in so many respects as it has for decades.”
The 47th annual Toronto International Film Festival runs Sept. 8 – 18.
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