TIFF Is More Than a Film Festival—It Is a Canadian Institution

by Maj (ret’d) CORNELIU, CHISU, CD, PMSC FEC, CET, P.Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East Every September, Toronto becomes one of the centres of the international film world. Actors, directors, producers, distributors, journalists and moviegoers gather for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), transforming theatres and streets into meeting places for art, commerce and public conversation. The 51st edition of TIFF, taking place from September 10 to 20, 2026, presents nearly 300 films. The program combines major premieres with independent productions, documentaries, international cinema and the work of emerging filmmakers. At a time when streaming services, artificial intelligence and changing audience habits are disrupting the industry, TIFF’s continuing importance should not be underestimated. TIFF is not merely a celebrity event. It is an economic engine, an instrument of cultural diplomacy and one of Canada’s most recognizable international institutions. Founded in 1976 as the Festival of Festivals, TIFF grew without the advantages enjoyed by older European festivals. Cannes had Mediterranean glamour, Venice had history, and Berlin had geopolitical importance. Toronto developed something different: an accessible festival supported by enthusiastic and knowledgeable audiences. That public participation became TIFF’s distinguishing characteristic. Unlike festivals organized primarily for invited industry professionals, TIFF gives ordinary moviegoers an important role. Audiences attend premieres, question filmmakers and help determine which productions generate momentum. The People’s Choice Award has frequently helped identify films that later achieved substantial commercial and awards-season success. This democratic quality reflects Toronto itself. The city’s extraordinary diversity makes it an ideal place to test films intended for international audiences. Within the Greater Toronto Area are communities connected to virtually every region of the world. A Romanian, Korean, Italian, Iranian, Hungarian, Indian or African film can find spectators who understand its language and cultural references, as well as Canadians encountering that culture for the first time. TIFF therefore performs a valuable social function. Films allow audiences to enter other lives and see political conflicts, migration, family relationships and historical events from unfamiliar perspectives. In a fragmented world, cinema remains capable of generating empathy in ways that statistics and political speeches frequently cannot. The festival is also immensely important for Canadian filmmakers. Canada shares a language and media market with the United States, whose entertainment industry possesses vastly greater financial and promotional resources. Without strong Canadian cultural institutions, our stories can easily be overwhelmed. TIFF gives Canadian directors, actors, writers and producers an international stage. A Canadian production screened in Toronto can attract foreign distributors, obtain financing for future projects and reach audiences that might otherwise never discover it. This is particularly valuable for independent, Indigenous, French-language and culturally diverse filmmakers who do not have the promotional machinery of major studios. Canada’s identity cannot be protected solely through laws, flags or government declarations. A country also expresses itself through the stories it tells. Canadian cinema records our landscapes, history, humour, conflicts and changing population. TIFF helps ensure that Canadians are not simply consumers of other countries’ cultural products but creators whose work travels internationally. The economic importance is equally significant. TIFF estimates that its activities generate approximately $240 million in annual economic impact. The benefits extend beyond the festival’s 11 days. International attention strengthens Toronto’s reputation as a location for film and television production. Producers attending TIFF can see the city’s studios, skilled crews, technical expertise and diverse architecture. Toronto can represent New York, Chicago or a European city on screen, but it can also appear confidently as itself. Canada’s screen industry provides employment to performers and directors, but also to carpenters, electricians, engineers, costume designers, caterers, computer specialists and construction workers. Supporting cinema is therefore not a luxury reserved for artists. It is an industrial strategy connected to technology, tourism, education and skilled employment. The launch of an official TIFF content market in 2026 represents an important development. Festivals exhibit films; markets help finance, purchase and distribute them. By connecting creators with buyers and investors, Toronto can capture more of the commercial activity surrounding the productions it presents. This could strengthen Canada’s position between the established European film markets and the enormous American entertainment industry. However, success should not be measured simply by the number of deals completed. The market must create genuine opportunities for Canadian companies and help them retain intellectual property rather than surrendering ownership at the earliest financing stage. TIFF also contributes to Canada’s international influence. Canada does not possess the military or economic weight of the world’s largest powers, but it exercises considerable soft power through culture, education and diplomacy. A respected international festival presents Canada as open, creative, pluralistic and capable of bringing different societies together. At a time of tariffs, geopolitical confrontation cultural connections are especially valuable. Governments may disagree, but artists and audiences can continue communicating. A film festival cannot resolve international conflicts, but it can preserve a space in which people encounter one another as human beings rather than merely as political categories. Nevertheless, TIFF must address significant challenges if it is to maintain public trust. Ticket prices and the concentration of screenings in downtown Toronto can make the festival feel inaccessible to many residents. TIFF should expand affordable screenings, student programs and community partnerships throughout the Greater Toronto Area. A festival that depends upon public enthusiasm must ensure that the public is not gradually priced out of participation. The organization must also balance celebrity premieres with its responsibility to discover original voices. Famous actors attract attention, sponsors and international media, but TIFF’s cultural purpose would be weakened if glamour displaced artistic merit. Independent films, documentaries and first-time directors need more than symbolic inclusion; they need good screening times, promotion and access to industry decision-makers. Political controversy presents another test. Films inevitably address war, injustice, identity and historical memory. TIFF should not avoid difficult subjects merely because they may provoke protests or criticism. Its responsibility is to apply transparent standards, respect lawful expression and create conditions for serious discussion. Freedom of artistic expression does not mean that every film is beyond criticism. It means that controversial work should normally be answered through debate, analysis and other artistic work—not through intimidation or opaque cancellation. The survival of theatrical cinema is itself at stake. Streaming platforms provide convenience and have broadened access to international productions, but watching alone at home is different from experiencing a film with hundreds of people. A collective audience laughs, falls silent and reacts together. The conversation afterward becomes part of the experience. TIFF reminds us that cinema is not merely digital content delivered to an individual device. It is a communal art form. Toronto should therefore regard TIFF as essential cultural infrastructure. Governments and sponsors should support it, while respecting its artistic independence. TIFF, in return, must remain accountable, accessible and firmly committed to Canadian talent. The festival’s red carpets will disappear after September 20, and international visitors will depart. Its real influence, however, will continue through the films discovered, agreements concluded, careers launched and conversations begun. TIFF matters because it brings the world to Canada while carrying Canadian creativity to the world. It strengthens Toronto’s economy, supports a national industry and gives Canadians an opportunity to understand themselves and others through storytelling. TIFF is an enduring investment in Canada’s culture, identity and international standing.