 Festival poster | |
| Opening film | The Boy and the Heron by Hayao Miyazaki |
|---|---|
| Closing film | Sly by Thom Zimny |
| Location | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Awards | American Fiction (People's Choice Award) |
| Festival date | September 7–17, 2023 |
| Website | tiff |
The 48th annual Toronto International Film Festival was held from September 7 to 17, 2023.[1]
The most noted change from past years was that the Contemporary World Cinema stream was renamed Centrepiece.[2] The festival also announced some changes to its programming team for the 2023 festival, following the retirement of Steve Gravestock at the end of 2022[3] and the death of Ravi Srinivasan in early 2023.[4] Noted changes included Norman Wilner taking over Gravestock's role as programmer of Canadian films, and June Kim succeeding Srinivasan as programmer for South Asian films.[1]
The festival indicated that with the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival having returned to more normal attendance figures, the event would take place exclusively in-person, ending the online platform that had been offered since the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival.[5] An additional change from past years was that the film market screenings for industry professionals began on September 6, one day earlier than the festival's official opening to the public.[6]
Festival organizers acknowledged that the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike was likely to impact the festival if not resolved in time, in particular because the strike prevented actors from taking part in promotional appearances to support their films, but indicated that the festival would still proceed even if fewer celebrities than usual were in attendance.[7] The rule did not necessarily bar all American actors from attending the event, however; for instance, as Atom Egoyan's Seven Veils was a Canadian production shot under ACTRA rather than SAG-AFTRA contracts, lead actress Amanda Seyfried remained able to attend the premiere,[8] though she ultimately chose not to attend.[9] As well, several films in the 2023 program were directed by notable movie stars, who were able to attend the premieres in their capacity as directors.[10]
The festival indicated that overall, 70 per cent of its planned program for 2023 came from independent and/or international producers, and would not be affected by the strike.[11]
In 2024, chief executive officer Anita Lee confirmed that despite the ongoing strike, attendance at the 2023 festival was up compared to 2022, although still short of the pre-pandemic highs of the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival.[12]
- ^ a b Victoria Ahearn, "TIFF reveals new programmers and other 2023 festival details". Playback, April 20, 2023.
- ^ Jeremy Kay, "TIFF renames Contemporary World Cinema as Centrepiece ahead of 2023 edition". Screen Daily, April 20, 2023.
- ^ Tom Tapp, "Steve Gravestock Stepping Down As Toronto International Film Festival Senior Programmer After 25 Years". Deadline Hollywood, June 6, 2022.
- ^ Naman Ramachandran, "Ravi Srinivasan, Toronto Film Festival Programmer, Dies at 37". Variety, January 16, 2023.
- ^ Jeremy Kay, "Taika Waititi’s ‘Next Goal Wins’ to world premiere at Toronto 2023". Screen Daily, June 28, 2023.
- ^ Etan Vlessing, "Toronto Film Festival Unveils Industry Programming Amid Hollywood Strikes". The Hollywood Reporter, July 19, 2023.
- ^ Noel Ransome, "A starless red carpet? TIFF attendees say festival enthusiasm waning due to strikes". Toronto Star, July 18, 2023.
- ^ Etan Vlessing, "Amanda Seyfried’s ‘Seven Veils’ to World Premiere at Toronto Film Festival". The Hollywood Reporter, July 19, 2023.
- ^ Thomas, Carly (September 2, 2023). "Amanda Seyfried Says She Will Not Attend 'Seven Veils' Premiere at Toronto Film Fest: "It Doesn't Feel Right"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ^ Jenna Benchetrit, "Canadian films to take the spotlight during 2023 Toronto International Film Festival". CBC News, August 17, 2023.
- ^ Jeremy Kay, "TIFF “continuing to plan” upcoming edition amid double strike". Screen Daily, July 19, 2023.
- ^ Peter Howell, "TIFF 2024: First six movies announced, including Oscar-tipped dark comedy starring Amy Adams as a mother turning into a dog". Toronto Star, June 18, 2024.