As the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) wraps up this weekend, Film Cincinnati is celebrating another successful appearance on the international cinema stage, with three films screening during the 11-day festival.
It's the second year in a row that Film Cincinnati has been represented at TIFF--last year it was the Cincinnati-filmed "My Days of Mercy" with Ellen Page and Kate Mara that premiered in Toronto. This year, Film Cincinnati returned with a cinematic trifecta--Emilio Estevez and "the public," Robert Redford's "The Old Man and The Gun," and Frank Grillo and Jamie Bell in "Donnybrook."
"It's an honor for Film Cincinnati to be in Toronto to showcase these movies that were made in Cincinnati" said Kristen Schlotman, executive director. "It shows the international film industry that Greater Cincinnati is a major player and a top destination for movie makers from around the world."
TIFF provides the perfect setting for cinephiles: It's a mixture of big-budget features ("A Star Is Born, First Man), independent productions and shorts, with some 300 presentations throughout the festival. Founded in 1976, TIFF annually contributes nearly $200 million to Toronto's economy.
TIFF is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting more than 480,000 visitors each year. And while nearly a half million people may be checking out the films, it never feels crowded or claustrophobic: Most events are concentrated along King Street in Toronto’s Entertainment District (the street itself is blocked off to just pedestrian traffic during the weekend) with a handful of other presentations at theatres a short walk from the main festival strip.
Don't have a ticket ahead of time? No worries, tickets often can be picked up the same day. Have a question about a particular movie or need directions? The volunteers at TIFF are incredibly polite and patient. Patient, too, are the moviegoers who often wait in long lines and maneuver packed houses for just about every showing.
Now that the festival is winding down, film producers are anxiously awaiting the results of voting for the People’s Choice Award. Audience members vote online for their favorites, and while it may be a popular vote contest, the award has turned into a harbinger for Oscar season: Past People’s Choice winners include “American Beauty,” “12 Years a Slave,” “La La Land” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.”
To find out more about TIFF and to see clips of all three Cincinnati-made films, visit www.tiff.net.