Toronto International Film Festival

Toronto, Ontario – One of the reasons why the Toronto International Film Festival is so cool is that it’s attended by ‘the public’.

Toronto has the largest movie-going population in North America. At this film fest the ‘Stars’ and industry people share the theatre with Toronto’s regular film-loving folk, and you can join in too.

The 10-day event, second only to Cannes, is held annually in early September. More than 300 films are featured at theatres throughout the downtown area. In addition to the theatres and scheduled events throughout the city, some of the best celebrity sighting spots include the shops and restaurants at the major hotels, in the entertainment district and near the Yorkville, Avenue Rd/Bloor neighbourhood, such as Holt Renfew, ROOTS, Whole Foods, Soto Soto and Joso’s. Some premier parties are held at small low-key independent restaurants around the city. For example, the premier party for ‘Twelve Years A Slave’  was at Dundas West Hudson Kitchen, just before it opened to the public for the first time (Brad Pitt showed up, then was spotted later in the evening Brad Pitt at the Thompson Hotel rooftop hanging out with Michael Fassbender.)

TIFF’s home is the Bell Lightbox at Reitman Sq., at the corner of King and John Sts in the heart of Toronto’s Entertainment District. Some favorite places for ‘Stars’ to stay are the Ritz-Carlton, Shangri-La Hotel, the Hazelton Hotel, and the Four Seasons.