Cameron Bailey knows a banner year when he sees one, and from his vantage point, 2026 is shaping up to be a winner for cinema.
The CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival is quick to tick off the summer blockbusters that have helped push the North American box office past $7 billion (according to media research firm Rentrak) and toward its strongest year since before the pandemic.
“The good news is movie-going is back,” Bailey told the Star.
“People are going to see movies in large numbers again and it’s become a social activity for young people.”
That’s a welcome sign for organizers at the 11-day festival as they prepare for Thursday’s opening. In recent years, TIFF has run directly into some of the film industry’s biggest disruptions, from the pandemic’s drive-in premieres and socially distanced screenings, to the dual 2023 Hollywood labour strikes that kept many of the biggest stars at home.
With TIFF’s 50th anniversary now behind it, festival leaders are turning to the rollout of its inaugural film and TV market, an ambitious effort to rival major industry events in Cannes and Berlin.
Bailey sat down with the Star to discuss what comes next for TIFF.
Usually these chats open with talk about the headwinds TIFF faces, and while Hollywood is certainly in tumult with Paramount/Skydance’s pending Warner-Discovery takeover, the movie business has lots to celebrate. How are you feeling about the state of cinema?
There’s been ups and downs in the industry since the pandemic, when a lot had to be rebuilt. The whole culture of watching movies changed, but with that has come some growth. This summer, you could not get a ticket to see “The Odyssey” in 70-mm Imax. It’s not just the success of movies like “Spider-Man,” but also genre films like “Backrooms” and “Obsession.” So, some of the despair of four years ago has evaporated.
Some festivalgoers are saying TIFF ticket prices are out of control this year. Buying a seat at a red carpet premiere can put you out $100. What do you say to those who feel they’ve been priced out?
I hear people, of course. The cost of living has gone up for a lot of basics, so we understand people feel like they’re stretched. There are ways to take in the festival for a much lower price. Some TIFF experiences are free, like Festival Street (the pedestrian thoroughfare outside the TIFF Lightbox on the opening weekend), while there are free outdoor screenings at David Pecaut Square every night at 10 p.m. There are also lower-priced tickets available during the week in the daytime, as well as if it’s a repeat screening rather than a first screening. If you want to be at one of the buzzy premieres with stars and filmmakers, then yes, those will cost you more. But they still cost less than a regular game from professional sports teams in the city.
You mentioned “The Odyssey,” which became the hottest ticket on Imax screens this summer. It’s been a banner year for the made-in-Canada giant screen format. What sort of role do you see for Imax at future events?
We’re fortunate to have had great screenings at the Cinesphere — the original Imax theatre, the first one in the world — where we showed Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” in the pandemic and Talking Heads’ “Stop Making Sense” when it was re-released. (Note: Doug Ford has closed the waterfront venue until at least 2029 as part of his Ontario Place redevelopment plan.) And we’re really looking forward to when it reopens. We hope we can play a part in it. Audiences want something that feels special, that you cannot get anywhere else, and there’s an opportunity for us at the festival to do more with Imax. We’re certainly looking into it. I’d say we’re in active conversations.
I’m sure TIFF has the ear of the Ford government, since you get funding from the province. Are you doing anything to urge them to reopen the Cinesphere sooner rather than later?
I am hoping to go back to Queen’s Park and talk to them about the potential of a venue, like the Cinesphere, in an environment where Imax is one of the most desired formats for movie audiences. We’ll have to see. We’ve certainly made our interest known. Personally, I went as a seven-year-old boy to the Cinesphere to watch “North of Superior” and I will never forget that. I’ve got a lot of motivation to help make it all it can be in the 21st century.
I’d be remiss not to mention that Hudson Williams is at TIFF for Crave’s TV series “Yaga.” The “Heated Rivalry” star is one of several Canadians drawing global attention this year, alongside “North of North” star Anna Lambe, who’s here for “In the Heart of the South,” and director Matt Johnson who has “Tony” in theatres. Some say Canada is strengthening its star system. In the era of political conflict with the U.S., what are your thoughts on this sudden global interest in our rising talent?
People are discovering that Canadian cinema has a new generation coming up, and it’s fascinating to watch. Sophy Romvari’s “Blue Heron” was such a success (winning TIFF’s Best Canadian Discovery Award last year). Now she’s an art-house favourite. It’s great to see how Hudson Williams has blown up on a fully Canadian show. I’m sure he’s got the whole world knocking on his door.
Actor Shamier Anderson’s first short film is at the festival and I think we might see him work on both sides of the border as a director. The way I look at it, it’s a bridge rather than a border. And there’s an opportunity for both sides of the bridge to benefit from what we do together.
With 293 films in the festival this year, there’s an abundance of choice. Can you suggest a few that festivalgoers should keep an eye on?
“Your Mother, Your Mother, Your Mother” (with two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali as a devout Muslim contract killer) will be a real breakout. It’s such a juicy movie. “I Play Rocky” is a total crowd-pleaser, so well done with an incredible lead performance. “Elsinore” has Andrew Scott playing Ian Charleson, the “Chariots of Fire” actor. He gives an incredible performance, some of the most powerful acting I’ve seen in a long time. “Angh” is groundbreaking and (filmed in Nagaland, India) a very remote part of the country where there has never been a feature film made before.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
