The Toronto International Film Festival will once again welcome visiting professionals to Toronto in September, and its development, business, and networking efforts will all be conducted in person. The five-day Industry Conference for this year will take place September 9–13 in the Glenn Gould Studio, and the Industry Center will move back to the Festival Village Hyatt Regency.  TIFF is developing industry incentives. to encourage professionals to attend its year-round home, the TIFF Bell Lightbox, for focused development sessions and memorable rooftop events, 

Geoff Macnaughton, Senior Director, Industry and Theatrical, TIFF, said, “We are so excited to welcome the international film and television communities back to Toronto this September to celebrate the craft and its creators, build toward more sustainable business practises, and help develop original, distinct, and diverse voices that deserve to be championed.”

“We are excited to return to in-person business and networking despite the fact that we have had a lot of success implementing hybrid digital/in-person industry initiatives over the past two years, including a record-breaking year in film sales,” he added.

This year’s Industry Conference is organised by Julla Shanghavi, Manager, Industry Conference, with assistance from Geoff Macnaughton and Jane Kim, Industry Programming Producer, under the supervision of TIFF’s new Chief Programming Officer, Anita Lee.

Six unique programmes make up the 2022 Industry Conference. Visionaries features motivational keynotes from eminent corporate and creative leaders who are blazing new trails in their fields. In Dialogues, directors, writers, and showrunners engage in in-depth and engaging talks about their profession.

Various professional panellists will discuss various facets of the current condition and the future of the industry in Perspectives’ topical and thought-provoking discussions. Connections is designed with budding and mid-career filmmakers in mind, giving them the chance to speak with business titans face-to-face and gain useful knowledge that will advance their projects and deepen their grasp of the business.

TIFF’s Spotlights stream features international talent, rewards, co-production opportunities, and pitching sessions, while Microsessions are selected discussions that highlight new technology and new business models.

The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Screen International, and Major Sponsors Telefilm Canada and Ontario Creates all contribute to the Industry Conference during TIFF.

A rare onstage Visionaries chat with MUBI Founder & CEO Efe Cakarel will address the company’s effect as a streamer, curator, publisher, distributor, producer, and—most importantly—as a film enthusiast.

Nuria Bronfman, Executive Director of the Movie Theatre Association of Canada, will guest programme a Perspectives session on The State of Global Film Exhibition, and Jason Ryle, TIFF International Programmer, Indigenous Cinema, will guest programme a Perspectives session on Narrative Sovereignty. This relevant panel discussion brings together specialists in exhibition who go beyond post-pandemic recovery and consider fresh approaches to enhance the cinematic experience while continuing to do what they do best: revolutionise how we watch movies together.

Thom Powers, TIFF International Programmer, Documentaries, who will entice the international documentary community back to TIFF with enlightening dialogues from top doc filmmakers, is another supporter of the Industry Conference programming this year.

Two Connections sessions centred on short films and debut features will be programmed by Jason Anderson, TIFF International Programmer, Short Cuts. Through its pass-gifting programme, which is in its third year, TIFF will keep assisting up-and-coming filmmakers from underrepresented areas.

In order to advance their careers and establish contacts for future chances, the programme gives budding varied talents and up-and-coming professionals access to the Festival’s Industry Conference, Press & Industry screenings, and networking tools. Together with partners and community organisations from across North America, this project helped approximately 240 up-and-coming filmmakers last year.