TORONTO – The Toronto International Film Festival’s annual press conference showcasing its Canadian lineup is also serving as an unofficial launch of a new marketplace where filmmakers can shop around their projects.
CEO Cameron Bailey called TIFF: The Market “our biggest new thing” since the festival opened its King Street headquarters 16 years ago.
TIFF touts the market is an opportunity for creators to make deals with financiers, and producers to connect with distributors.
Charles Tremblay, TIFF’s head of market, says they’re on track to welcome 6,000 delegates from more than 80 countries, with 230 exhibitors, and Bailey says Canadian creators will be at the centre of it all.
He says that without the business side of the film industry, the films themselves wouldn’t happen.
Anita Lee, TIFF’s chief programming officer, says the Canadian lineup includes 61 features and shorts, 55 of which are having their world premiere at TIFF.
The features include “Villeneuve: The Rise of a Legend,” a biopic about Canadian F1 racer Gilles Villeneuve; “Closing Night,” about a renowned Hollywood star reconnecting with her family; and “Turtle Island Rap” about three Indigenous rappers.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 19, 2026.
