Toronto Film Fest Welcomes Tourists
Sept. 10, 2004 -- You don't need to have an Oscar on your mantel to get the attention of big-name directors at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The festival, going on now through Sept. 18, welcomes tourists to join the stars for a sampling of more than 300 new films from around the world. Roughly 100 movies will make their debut at the event.
"You can be watching one of the first public viewings of the movies … with the directors," said Ellen Flowers of Tourism Toronto. "Even members of the public are invited to buy tickets to the galas."
Toronto has established itself as a major film production center and that enthusiasm for cinema is apparent during the festival, which is among the Canadian city's biggest events of the year.
This year's lineup includes movies from veteran directors Pedro Almodóvar and Walter Salles. Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey will screen his second directorial effort, a Bobby Darin biopic. Spacey also stars and sings in Beyond the Sea.
While non-celebs might feel they don't have the duds or 'dos for a star-studded event, don't despair. At this event, the fans are an integral part of the process. They're even invited to vote on the sole award given at the event, the People's Choice Award.
"Toronto is a really unique festival in that the audiences are known by the industry to be very savvy," said festival spokesman Denny Alexander. "The industry loves the audiences that come here and they figure it's a good way to judge how films are going to do."
He expects 250,000 tickets to be sold to the public by the end of the festival.
Popcorn All Around Town
As fans and industry types fill the movie theaters in downtown Toronto, that cinematic excitement will also be spilling out onto the streets. Shop owners decorate their windows for the event and street fairs bring the parties outdoors.
The weather typically remains fairly warm this time of year in the Canadian city, so visitors can easily wander from one screening to the next and tour the area in between movies.
