Telefilm Canada puts Canadian talent in the spotlight at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto, July 31, 2019 – From September 5 – 15, 2019, Telefilm Canada is placing Canadian talent front and centre at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. With a variety of industry initiatives, panels, and events, Telefilm is positioning Canadian talent in the best possible spot to showcase their skills and projects to both local and international decision-makers, media, and industry partners.
“The Toronto International Film Festival is a vital opportunity for putting homegrown talent in the international spotlight,” said Christa Dickenson, Executive Director, Telefilm Canada. “We get a chance to show both audiences and industry members the wide range of diverse voices and storytellers that we have shaping and expanding our entertainment landscape. We are delighted to be a partner at TIFF once again and provide a unique range of initiatives to showcase our nation’s filmmakers.”
“Our nation is home to an extraordinary wealth of new ideas, creativity and talent,” said TIFF Co-Heads Cameron Bailey and Joana Vicente. “TIFF’s partnership with Telefilm has flourished for a number of years as we continue to prioritize our shared commitment to gender parity, under-represented voices in cinema and championing the very best in Canadian film.”
Telefilm Canada’s Signature Events
Eye on TIFF, an international showcase of Canadian cinema
New York: August 21
Los Angeles: August 22
Paris: August 27
London: August 28
An exclusive pre-Festival event since 2011 in New York, and entering its sixth edition in Los Angeles, Eye on TIFF provides pre-Festival screenings to international distributors, sales agents and exhibitors with a sneak preview of some of Canada’s most buzzworthy titles programed at TIFF. In 2017, the Eye on TIFF initiative was expanded to Europe, with screenings in London and Paris, where Telefilm will be hosting the event for the third year.
Presented in partnership with TIFF and UniFrance, Eye on TIFF is an initiative that aims to support the promotion and international marketing strategy of Canadian productions abroad, aligned with our vision from the Export Assistance Program.
Birks Diamond Tribute to the Year’s Women in Film
September 4
Presented in a new format of an intimate gala luncheon, the Birks Diamond Tribute to the Year’s Women in Film honours six Canadian female directors, actors and screenwriters for their impact in the global entertainment landscape. The honourees were voted on by a pan-Canadian media jury. Recipients will be announced soon.
Canada Lounge
September 5 to 12, 9:00am – 5:00pm
Hyatt Regency Hotel, King Ballroom, Stand #3
Located in the Festival Industry Centre, an info and promo hub, space co-shared with Ontario Creates. The Canada Lounge is a business and networking centre for Canadian film teams and Telefilm’s team. The Lounge serves as their Toronto meeting hub with international industry representatives.
RDV Canada panel series
During TIFF Industry, Telefilm will be hosting two panels to spotlight some of the most important topics in the industry today, featuring some of the strongest names in Canadian talent.
Panel 1 | The Big Screen: Have rumours of my demise been greatly exaggerated?
September 6, 1:30-2:30 pm
Glenn Gould Studio
A panel of industry experts will debate the state of the cinematic experience, discuss industry and audience trends, as well as discuss the new opportunities that today’s marketplace offers.
Moderator and panelists to be announced soon.
Panel 2 | Demystifying Platforms: Getting Shelf Space
September 8, 10:00- 11:00 am
CBC – Conference Room B
The power and reach of streaming platforms is hard to deny, and the competition for their attention is fierce. How does an indie filmmaker get on their radar? We’ve gathered experts from content aggregators to discuss the ins and outs of getting your productions on the major platforms, how to optimize audience reach, and more.
Moderated by Annelise Larson, digital marketing expert.
Panelists to be announced soon.
RDV Canada TIFF Breakfast
September 7, 9:00am-10:30 am
Luma
Telefilm will host an intimate breakfast in support of Emerging Talent at this year’s festival.
Initiatives supported by Telefilm Canada at TIFF
Telefilm Canada PITCH THIS!
September 8, 4:30pm – 5:30pm
Glenn Gould Studio
This year marks the twentieth anniversary of Telefilm Canada’s PITCH THIS! Six teams will have six minutes to pitch their feature-film idea to a live audience of industry delegates and a jury of development and production experts. All genres and styles of presentation are permitted. The most original and compelling story will be awarded a prize of $15,000.
For more information, click here.
Telefilm will also host a Happy Hour immediately following PITCH THIS! at the Glenn Gould Studio.
Filmmaker Boot Camp
Developed in partnership with Telefilm Canada, Filmmaker Boot Camp gives filmmakers the skills and contacts they need to make the most of their experience at the Festival. The Boot Camp is open to Canadian filmmakers who are attending the Festival for the first-time with their feature or short films in Official Selection.
TIFF Rising Stars
Telefilm is a loyal partner of TIFF Rising Stars, an initiative designed to discover the next generation of outstanding Canadian actors. Each year, TIFF Rising Stars showcases new Canadian and international acting talent during the Toronto International Film Festival, placing the emphasis on the next generation poised for international success. They undertake professional development with international casting directors, filmmakers, producers, and industry executives, and also have front-row access at some of the biggest red-carpet events at the Festival.
For more information, click here.
TIFF Filmmaker Lab
Telefilm is partnering again with Filmmaker Lab, an artistic development programme for aspiring Canadian and international filmmakers. Over a four-day period, selected participants learn from internationally acclaimed filmmakers and guests, deepening their industry understanding and empowering them to move forward with their projects.
For more information, click here.
Telefilm wishes the participants of all the above initiatives a productive and engaging festival. For more information on all Telefilm TIFF-related industry programming, visit rdvcanada.ca/en/festivals/tiff-2019/
About Telefilm Canada
Telefilm is dedicated to the cultural, commercial and industrial success of Canada’s audiovisual industry. Through funding and promotion programs, Telefilm supports dynamic companies and creative talent at home and around the world. Telefilm also makes recommendations regarding the certification of audiovisual coproduction treaties to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, and administers the programs of the Canada Media Fund. Launched in 2012, the Talent Fund accepts private donations which principally support emerging talent. Visit telefilm.ca and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/telefilm_canada and on Facebook at facebook.com/telefilmcanada.
– 30 –
Media enquiries:
Brian Mullen
Advisor, Public Relations – English Market
Telefilm Canada
647-475-4910
brian.mullen@telefilm.ca
Claire Strunck
Advisor, Public Relations – French Market
Telefilm Canada
438-469-1299
claire.strunck@telefilm.ca