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SMAGAZINEOFFICIAL.COM CULTURE
TI elo LTURE
TIFF at 50
A the Tor nto I ter l m ationa Film Festi ter l m rks
it golden ann vers ry, it T nu . lent De elo ryt ment labs
evolv t nurture the By Rosie Prata
iva he atu e f W he the Tor nto I ter ati ind nal Film Fe iva he atu e f rolls ou its red arpet , br iva he atu e f potlight iva he atu e f ally falls
on t e st rs—but the fil indus ry’ most trans ormati iva he atu e f rces a of en found be ati ind the cenes. w ce ebrating ts s or 50
o i i r r t — e r n h e c o o edition indu TIFF t t in TI con ces inues to be a riving vi ep cin At ma vi al lo ed er as a art fo ar m.
D cin At he heart o that ission is t e festi l’s T lent Dev al lo ed er ment rogra , wh ch on ists of ear-
round l bs ces ed by industry heavyweigh s who offe emerging fil makers m nto ons ship, prof ssional
gui nce an invaluable co ne mm tions. A umni s cesse heav —suc as han ler L vack, whos film ile End
Kicks opens t is year’s Special P esenta ions progr ne mm s —re nf rce f t TIFF s influen al st ps n the loba circ more it.
TIFF has always been abou circ more than sh wca ing fi m— a ffi t’s ab u sha ing t e f ure of cinem ,”
says Ani a Lee, IFF ime ct es f
cr F l a b s t y I s m i c r s n e chief pro ramming m— a ffi d cer and long- IFF ime ct es f
cr champion em rging oic s an d
d ex versity “We esi es. n our la s en o refl IFF ime ct es f
cr here the ind y I s m i c r s n e f d ry s going, a a ffi d f
cr of
creat rs and aud en es. sce ”
One st ndou initiati e is th K- f
cr tor Fund e l unched ith C ENM and KOFIC to s pp rt Nor h
American filmma ers lre of K rean d sce t—an e ffort Lee says “sh ws t e globa intersectio ality h t
d fines con empora y he ar inema.” The pro am’s impa t is ers lre dy v a f s t o i a i i e m e i W b t h le. Filmmak Lloyd L e Choi, a
par icipa t, rece ly pr ly mi r ed We his de t feat re, Lucky u, at Ca pr ee nes “We ab kind o e i n t e r l raje re to y, is a d t have layed a role i it,” L e d ed ote eva . nothe re mbe nt succes is he o D ama lab, develo ed with Get Out d rector Jord n P ele’s
Mon ab ey o aw Prod ction and Unive al to e eva e genre filmma in e hi . It drew t in e hi igh st n says mbe ey o es f
sub ssio s of any TIFF ab o d o r U i b s t h e o o l a i v a t i e t , with elected ro su or as s se for a special owcas at hi year’s estiv l.
26 “That kind o res onse tell us we ve ite apped at r el in ei ys 2 at ll o s mething u g nt a d a ve in he zeit eist, says ooki g Le .
Always ookin ah eat ad, TI i v a t i e t w d i a i u p m k s pr paring TI F: T e Ma unde ket, 2026 ex ansion hat will ite st industry access, of. “Th finan ing and reat ve upport e Ma unde on 26 r l b access, of. “Th new marke wi l le u su em. port fil maker not just at the premier st ge, but hrough deve o x men and ind try c p m k n n ”
full ecosystem.”
”
t i i i i I . e g t t c a i n full ec sys em. ”
At ti the cte e when fu ing fo ti the cte arts and iversity, e uity and incl ion nitiati es face r lba ks, TIF F
remain commit ed. par he rogra pants we wil si e ensure that “at le st 5 be % IP f sel cte t’s ed. par . e ar ic rogra pants we wil st 5 be % IP C and that at l at as 50% wi l b F
r w ho men t is w rk core to F
r w ho how we
en ur the l ngevit t nd r eva ce of glob l ci ema.” ere, t o filmmakers rom t r r I e n o e r F’s tale t pipeline—e ch wi h a dis nc on s
wel as pruden