The 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) returns Sept 5–15, 2024, so patrons can experience 11 days of Canadian and international cinema, with hundreds of the best films from other film festivals around the globe being presented, as well as special events and movie talks with the biggest names in the industry. TIFF was founded nearly half a century ago in 1976 and has grown to become one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting almost 500,000 people to Toronto each year!
Before you attend this season’s festivities, here’s everything you need to know about TIFF.
TIFF Highlights
The festival will kick off on Sept 5 with David Gordon Green’s Nutcrackers starring Ben Stiller, about a career-driven man who unexpectedly finds himself responsible for his orphaned nephews. It will close on Sept 14 with Rebel Wilson’s directorial debut The Deb, an Australian musical about teenage cousins who initially clash but eventually join forces to make their mark on their town’s debutante ball. Both films will mark their World Premiere at Roy Thomson Hall.
This 2024 lineup from TIFF’s Gala and Special Presentations programs will include films from 25 countries!
To see movie stars, head to Gala Presentation screenings — these presentations are expected to draw in major celebs. There will be red carpet arrivals at David Pecaut Square for the Galas presentations as well as red carpet arrivals at Princess of Wales and Royal Alexandra for the first weekend of the festival.
The Galas lineup will include the world premiere of Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe directed by Cosima Spender, Meet the Barbarians directed by Julie Delpy, and the North American premiere of Oh, Canada, directed by Paul Schrader, about the confessions of draft evaders who fled to Canada to avoid serving in Vietnam.
The Special Presentations lineup will include films like the musical crime comedy Emilia Pérez (directed by Jacques Audiard, starring Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez), the near-futuristic romance All of You (directed by William Bridges), All We Imagine as Light (a drama about three women who work at the same hospital directed by Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia), and the international premiere of Malcolm Washington’s The Piano Lesson, which follows the lives of the Charles family and a beloved family piano decorated by an enslaved ancestor. You can read more about what films to expect at these presentations as well as their premiere dates here and here).
As a bonus, some of the films will have live post-screening Q&A sessions (usually after the first screenings) so stick around and ask the filmmakers and cast members some questions.
This year’s lineup of speakers for TIFF’s iconic In Conversation With… series will include stars like Cate Blanchett (Sept 8), Zoe Saldaña (Sept 9), Hyun Bin and Lee Dong-Wook (Sept 9), and director Steven Soderbergh (Sept 12), who will participate in moderated discussions about their work and creative processes (you can read more about that here).
TIFF’s annual Industry Conference takes place this year from Sept 6–10 and will provide insights for filmmakers, distributors, etc., into the latest trends in the film industry. The five-day conference will include moderated conversations between directors, screenwriters, and producers about their creative craft. It’s hailed as a vital platform for global business development, content deals, and networking — you can read more about that here.
The sixth annual TIFF Tribute Awards will be held on Sept 8 at Fairmont Royal York Hotel to honour outstanding contributors to the entertainment community. Recipients this year include Amy Adams, David Cronenberg, Sandra Oh, Cate Blanchett, Mike Leigh, Durga Chew-Bose, Clément Ducol and Camille, Jharrel Jerome, and Zhao Tao (this event is typically invite-only, but it’s a perfect area for celeb-watching).
For those looking to enjoy a more lively street environment rather than a box office … Festival Street will return for the opening weekend (Sept 5–8, between 10 am and 10 pm). The stretch of King St W between Peter St and University Ave will close and transform into a mini entertainment district! The family-friendly street festival is free and will feature live performances, red carpet events, outdoor screenings, food trucks, and even restaurant patios for people to star-spot.
TIFF Venues
This year’s official screening venues will include several locations, but the TIFF Bell Lightbox will be the festival’s headquarters, located on the first five floors of the Festival Tower on the northwest corner of King St W and John St.
Roy Thomson Hall, the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, Cineplex’s Scotiabank Theatre Toronto, Glenn Gould Studio at the CBC, and the Royal Alexandra Theatre will also host red carpet events, film screenings, and premieres. To avoid traffic, click here to find TTC directions to these venues.
What Celebrities are attending TIFF 2024?
One of the top things that most people look forward to during TIFF is celebrity spotting! This year’s TIFF films will bring many of the world’s most beloved A-listers to Toronto, including Amy Adams (for the premiere of Nightbitch), Will Ferrell (for the international premiere of Will & Harper), Bruce Springsteen (for the world premiere of Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band), Selena Gomez (for her role in Emilia Pérez), as well as Elton John, Pharrell Williams, Alicia Vikander, Riz Ahmed, Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams, and more!
TIFF Celebrity Hangout Spots
In addition to scoping out TIFF festival venues for events and premieres, TIFF has dedicated “Fan Zones” at David Pecaut Square (215 King St W); these zones will allow the public to watch celebs as they appear for red carpet appearances (more info will about Fan Zones be provided by TIFF this month).
Many hotels have played host to countless celebrity guests in previous TIFF seasons, your best bets are the Shangri-La Hotel (188 University Ave), The Ritz-Carlton (181 Wellington St W; previous guests include Ryan Gosling and George Clooney), 1 Hotel Toronto (550 Wellington St; past guests include Bradley Cooper and Kate Hudson); The Hazelton Hotel (118 Yorkville Ave; previous guests include Justin Bieber and Jennifer Lopez), Fairmont Royal York (100 Front St W, near Union Station; past guests include Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Aniston), Bisha Hotel (80 Blue Jays Way; previous guests include Margot Robbie, Emma Thompson, and Jake Gyllenhaal), and The Four Seasons Hotel (60 Yorkville Avenue, previous guests include Bruce Springsteen and Woody Harrelson).
The best restaurants and bars to go celebrity spotting during TIFF include MARBL Restaurant (455 King St W) — there will likely be many parties, networking events, and press junkets held here throughout TIFF. KŌST (a 44th-floor rooftop restaurant and bar at Bisha Hotel, 80 Blue Jays Way) is super close to the TIFF Lightbox and a fav hangout for celebs during the festival. Minami Toronto, a Japanese Tapas & Cocktails restaurant at 225 King St W, is also close to the Lightbox and the perfect spot to search for the stars. Kissa (a Japanese listening bar at 619 King St W) became a TIFF hospitality partner last year and is sure to be a fav this year for celebs (they previously hosted a few other celebrities, like Lebron James and Shai Alexander).
Or perhaps take a stroll throughout Yorkville and visit Ristorante Sotto Sotto at 120 Avenue Rd (they’ll have extended hours throughout the festival) or Sassafraz (100 Cumberland St.) — this iconic venue is a hot spot for celebs during TIFF, past celebs include Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan.
Click here for the full list of TIFF hotel and hospitality partners.
TIFF Ticketing Procedure
Individual tickets for year-round programming at TIFF Lightbox can be purchased via the TIFF Year-Round Account Manager.
To purchase an individual ticket, just sign in to the TIFF Account Manager. Select “Buy Tickets.” Search the list of films and click “Select.” Click on the interactive seat map and zoom in to see available seats. Add your seats to your Cart. Proceed to the checkout (here’s an instructional video if you need help).
Single tickets are already available for purchase to members (by level) but will be available for purchase to the public starting August 26. All prices include taxes and fees:
Regular screenings: $28 – $36 | Regular Rush: $27 | Premium screenings: $41 – $95 | Premium Rush: $47 | Select Regular screenings for under-25 Free Passholders and community partners: starting at $13.50.
For ticket bundles, TIFF members save 20% on tickets to regular screenings when purchasing in multiples of 10 tickets or more. Click here for more information on purchasing tickets.
