As the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) celebrates its 50th edition, some locals are questioning whether the city — and Canadians at large — should be louder and prouder about the milestone.
On the red carpet, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow expressed excitement but also urged Canadians to embrace the spotlight. “As Canadians, let’s not be too humble, right? This is the International Film Festival. This is where all the most important movies are premiering,” she said. Chow pointed to Toronto’s role in showcasing Oscar-winning films such as Guillermo Del Toro’s The Shape of Water and noted that his next work is premiering at TIFF. “We need to just stand up and say, ‘we are the stars,’” she added.
Others argue that Toronto doesn’t need to boast because the festival’s track record already speaks volumes. Natasha Koifman, president of public relations agency NKPR, said the work itself is the proof of impact. “To me, it’s more about acting to show what we can do. And that’s what the Toronto film festivals are about. They have demonstrated what they have been, what they’ve meant to filmmakers for 50 years,” Koifman told Now Toronto at her annual Artists for Peace and Justice gala.
Canadian media icon George Stroumboulopoulos echoed that sentiment. “I don’t think that we need to brag. Bragging means we want other people to like us. We’re from Toronto, I don’t care who likes us,” he said. Having traveled widely, he described Toronto as unique: “If my number pops up on your call display, do you inhale or do you exhale? Toronto is the exhale city. I don’t think we need to brag.”
Regardless of where one stands on the humility-versus-pride debate, TIFF’s 50th anniversary is widely seen as a celebration of talent. From world premieres to red-carpet glamour, the festival continues to solidify Toronto’s place on the global cultural stage until it wraps up on September 14.