Let’s make a deal: TIFF touts its first market, says Canadian creators will benefit

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has announced the launch of a new marketplace, dubbed "TIFF: The Market," during its annual press conference. This market is touted as "our biggest new thing" since the festival opened its King Street headquarters 16 years ago, according to its CEO Cameron Bailey. The marketplace is positioned as an opportunity for filmmakers to negotiate deals with financiers and for producers to connect with distributors.

TIFF's head of market, Charles Tremblay, expects the market to attract 6,000 delegates from over 80 countries, alongside 230 exhibitors. Bailey emphasized that Canadian creators would be at the heart of the event, stating, "Without the business side of the film industry, the films themselves wouldn't happen."

Among the Canadian lineup at TIFF, there are 61 features and shorts, with 55 of them debuting at the festival for the first time. Some of these features include "Villeneuve: The Rise of a Legend," a biopic about Canadian Formula One racer Gilles Villeneuve, "Closing Night," which follows a Hollywood star reconnecting with her family, and "Turtle Island Rap," a story about three Indigenous rappers.

The marketplace will be billed at $205.00 + GST for one year, with an option to renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (a 10% discount off the regular annual price of $259.35). The offer is available to new and qualified returning subscribers, with the option to cancel at any time.