Toronto International Film Festival

The 2008 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival is underway and you can expect the downtown area of the city to be clogged with film fans, film reporters and film stars. Anywhere you go in the heart of the city you’re sure to run into actors, directors and film aficionados galore.

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This year’s Festival features some 312 films from over 60 countries. But more importantly, the Festival provides film lovers with the opportunity to see films they might not otherwise be able to see. The Festival brings in the best in cinema and its reputation as a fan-driven Festival make it an important stop in the world film festival scene. Film producers know that Toronto filmgoers know their movies and that if they get a strong positive reaction from the Toronto audiences, their films have a good chance of becoming a commercial success. This year, the film Festival is expanding its operations and moving some of their activities from the Bloor/Bay heartland to the Yonge/Dundas area. This year will mark the first time that the festival uses the new AMC down at Dundas and Yonge. It is also using the Yonge-Dundas Square as a centre for free outdoor programming, including free outdoor screenings. There will also be free outdoor concerts and a whole slew of activities centered around the world of cinema. All these events, and more, guarantee a heaven full of events that are sure to satisfy the most ardent film lovers. I shall try to be at as many events and film screenings as possible. I hope to hit a few parties, talk to some actors and directors, and report every day on some of the events and activities that I have been able to attend. Unfortunately, the Festival is so large and so widespread that it is impossible to be everywhere. But it should be a wonderful week and a half and I am looking forward to see what each day will bring.