Cameron Bailey and Charles Tremblay have unveiled early details for next year’s inaugural TIFF: The Market, slated for September 10 to 16 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
The event expands the scope of the well regarded Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The first market is set to feature 650 market screening slots and an expanded speaker summit. CAA, UTA, and WME, among others, are confirmed to participate in TIFF: The Market with completed and packaged projects.
“The alignment of TIFF: The Market with our annual Festival provides a unique opportunity for buyers and distributors,” said Bailey, TIFF’s CEO. “As the largest public film festival in the world, there is no better place than TIFF to get a pulse on what is resonating with audiences. ”
“We are seeing strong buy-in and support for the market from key stakeholders, including major film agencies, alongside sales companies, international buyers, national promotional bodies, and prospective partners across the industry,” added Tremblay, head of TIFF: The Market. “This level of engagement underscores the value and timeliness of establishing a major market and festival in September to help drive the global screen industry forward.”
Roeg Sutherland, co-head of CAA Media Finance, noted, “Having a market coincide with a festival is an ideal scenario and TIFF allows for just that. In addition to attracting key buyers who are using the festival to platform their fall releases, they are also acquiring films. With the formal launch of the market, the timing is essential to supporting a healthy independent film ecosystem in that we can sell packages that are able to go into production in the first quarter of the year and help ease the pressure buyers may feel in the space between Cannes and Berlin.”
The Metro Toronto Convention Centre will feature 120 exhibitor spaces, market programming stages, business lounges, an innovation zone, and market screenings. Sales suites will also be available at nearby hotels, including the InterContinental Toronto Centre and The Ritz-Carlton.
The event is inviting more than 250 international buyers, in addition to the 800 who attend TIFF annually. There will be a week-long speakers summit, a market for projects in development seeking co-pro partners, talent development labs, and more.
The government of Canada has committed a C$23 million investment in TIFF: The Market, which is supported by Telefilm Canada.
