Glitz, glam and geopolitical anxiety as TIFF gets underway

TORONTO – Two factions of the film world converged at the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday. 

Fans filed into star-studded screenings at what’s long been known as the “people’s festival” for its publicly available tickets, and a larger-than-ever contingent of industry delegates gathered at a nearby convention centre for the inaugural edition of TIFF: The Market, a trade event that connects creatives with film financiers.

It comes as President Donald Trump pushes for Hollywood films to be shot in the United States, rather than outsourced to other countries as has been increasingly common in recent years.

“There’s definitely a lot of attention on what’s going to happen south of the border right now but what what we have to do is is really take pride in what TIFF has been able to build, which is a world-class marketplace that is going to bring everyone together,” said Damon D’Oliveira, a producer who sits on the boards of both TIFF and the Canadian Media Producers Association.

“This is where we have a real edge. We’ve got countries from around the world that are here at the market right now for the first time.”

More than 200 feature-length and short films from dozens of countries across six continents are due to screen over 10 days. Their countries of origin range from Iran to Ireland and Rwanda to Romania — and, of course, the United States. 

TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey said he understands the protectionist impulse, though he argued that Hollywood is richer for Canada’s contributions.

“Hollywood is obviously the leading film industry in the world, but it makes for a stronger industry when it’s able to work with talent from every corner of the planet,” he said on a recent video call.

But as tensions with the United States remain, Canada’s film industry is looking to partner with other so-called “middle powers.”

Julie Roy, executive director and CEO of Telefilm Canada, noted that she was just in France for the Lumiere Summit focused on international cinema, hosted by France and South Korea. 

“I feel very energized about that because more and more with this context, international co-operation and collaboration is a necessity,” she said by phone. “And Canada is the leader in that field. I mean, we are having treaties of co-production with 57 different countries.”

Telefilm has the largest pavilion at TIFF: The Market, where they’ll facilitate meetings between Canadian creators and international financiers.

She likens it to Team Canada at the Olympic Village — but in the audiovisual sector.

By early afternoon, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre was filling out with market delegates.

Paul Spurrier, who is representing the Thailand Pavilion, said he’d met a number of filmmakers in the first few hours of the market who were interested in filming in Thailand.

In addition to selling the country as a potential destination for international filmmakers, Spurrier is also hoping to drum up interest in Thai films.

“I think that a lot of producers are being pressured to maintain the quality of their productions but to cut costs. And so Thailand is actually in a very good position to be part of that, where you can still get great crews and a great look to your shoot but at a much lower cost,” he said.

As the businesspeople geared up for a week of wheeling and dealing, crews were literally rolling out the red carpet for the public-facing festival.

Guilherme Bonamigo was walking along King Street, taking in the first-day atmosphere. Originally from Brazil, he has lived in Toronto for the last 10 years and said he looks forward to this event every year.

“It’s a fact that anyone can come,” he said. “Of course, there’s some very buzzy sessions, but anyone can buy a ticket. Even today there’s still tickets for some of the screenings … I don’t think in any other festival, I would have the chance to watch so many movies.”

He’s planning to attend about 30 films at this year’s fest.

The opening night film is “Being Heumann,” a biopic about American disability rights activist Judy Heumann, from Oscar-winning filmmaker Sian Heder.  

Another hot ticket is “Fjord,” this year’s Palme d’Or winner that dissects what religious tolerance looks like in secular Norway, starring Sebastian Stan as a devoutly Christian father of five.

Stan is among the celebrities expected on Thursday, as is Jodie Comer, who plays a mortician-turned-taxidermist in the musical rom-com “Stuffed,” and Naomi Watts, who stars in historical drama “The Housewife” from Canadian director Ben Shirinian.

Waiting in line for rush tickets Thursday was Rachel Helzerman, 22, a visitor from Ann Arbor, Mich., where she studies film. 

Helzerman, who hopes to one day be a film critic, said she was here as part of a study abroad program. 

She was aware of the recent tensions between the neighbouring nations but hoped that Canadians realized they “are just solely the fault of the current administration and that doesn’t actually reflect a general American view of Canada.”

“More now than ever it’s really important as an American to continue going out into the world and trying to put our best foot forward, showing that no, we’re not the administration, we’re not like what you see in the news and I personally love learning about other cultures,” she said.

Meanwhile, 29-year-old Julia Wigdor, of Toronto, said she specifically sought out Canadian-made productions when she was purchasing tickets.

“With the rise of ‘Heated Rivalry’ and ‘Yaga’ coming and more and more Crave originals  as well…it’s just a really, really cool time to support Canadian art,” said Wigdor.

-With files from Kaitlyn McGrath

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2026.