The Toronto International Film Festival is a massive and exciting event in the city. But with over 300 films screening every year the choices can be overwhelming, especially if it's your first festival. Here are some of the ways to find the films showing at TIFF that are right for you:
Find TIFF Films by Programme
All of the films are chosen and sorted by themed programmes. The theme might have to do with where the film was made, who made it, the content/intended audience or how it's being presented. If you find a programme that appeals to you it's easy to browse all the films in it on the Programmes Section of TIFF's Official website.TIFF 2010 Programmes (2011 details TBA)
- Canada First!
First festival appearances by Canadian filmmakers - Canadian Open Vault
Restored Canadian classics. - City to City
Exploration of the urban experience and a showcase of fiction and documentaries about a selected city (Tel Aviv in 2009, Istanbul in 2010). - Contemporary World Cinema
Best films from around the world. - Discovery
Films by emerging, innovative filmmakers - Future Projections
Film-related art installations. - Gala Presentations
Major premieres held at Roy Thompson Hall. Directors and some cast speak before these red carpet affairs. - Masters
The latest from well-respected filmmakers. - Mavericks
Conversations with filmmakers. - Midnight Madness
Cult-worthy films, late screenings... and a rabid fan-base. - Real to Reel
Documentaries are featured in this non-fiction portion of TIFF. - Short Cuts Canada
Short films by emerging and established Canadian filmmakers. - Special Presentations
Big stars, big directors, big buzz. - Sprockets Family Zone
Family films for kids and teens. - TIFF for Free
Free screenings of past festival favourites. Tickets are handed out on a first-come, first-serve basis (Learn more about TIFF's free events). - Vanguard
Films that defy conventions. - Visions
Experimental features - Wavelengths
Avant-garde shorts
Find Films by Date
If you only have a few windows of time to work with (meaning you aren't one of the many film lovers who book off vacation time to go the Toronto International Film Festival) you can easily find out what films are screening on a day to day basis on the official festival website or in the magazine-style printed schedule distributed in newspapers and available at TIFF Box Offices.
Find Films by Ticket Availability
Just want to see something and maybe be surprised? The Film Festival provides a neat service called Best Bets in which they let you know every morning which films still have enough tickets available that you have a good chance of getting in. Visit the official TIFF website in the morning to see the front-page update, or you can subscribe on the site to get alerts by email.
