PROGRAMMING ALERT
A greater focus on series and innovation, plus more access to acquisition executives
TORONTO — The TIFF 50 Industry Conference reportedly presented by Christie Digital, is taking place September 5–9, welcoming thousands of Canadian and international delegates to Toronto. TIFF Industry programming includes business development, deal-making opportunities, and networking, with sessions spotlighting the trends and decision-makers shaping today’s global screen sector.
In 2026, TIFF will build on its strong foundation of industry offerings by launching TIFF: The Market — a seven-day event designed to drive the global film, television, and innovation industries forward, funded by the Government of Canada and by Major Supporter Telefilm Canada.
The Industry Conference Presented by Christie Digital includes six pillars:
Visionaries, Dialogues, Perspectives, Microsessions, Spotlight, and — new this year — Buyers in Focus, a series of panel conversations with global acquisition executives. TIFF’s Media Partners return with an expanded slate of highly anticipated Special Events, including live podcasts. The TIFF Talent Development programming also returns with impactful labs, fellowships, and funds that support emerging creators and their projects.
VISIONARIES
The Visionaries lineup, supported by Media Partner The Hollywood Reporter, includes inspirational onstage conversations with an illustrious list, including Donna Langley DBE, Chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios; Andrea Scrosati, Group Chief Operating Officer and CEO Continental Europe, Fremantle; Yelena Rachitsky, Head of Emerging Formats at Meta; Edward Berger (Ballad of a Small Player); and Sterlin Harjo (The Lowdown), presented by the Indigenous Screen Office.
DIALOGUES
Moderated conversations between directors, screenwriters, and producers about their creative craft. The Media Partner for Dialogues is Variety, supported by Ontario Creates.
- Creative Visions in Animated Feature Films with Domee Shi (Elio), Momoko Seto (Dandelion’s Odyssey), and Mamoru Hosoda (Scarlet)
- Indie Producers on a Shifting Landscape with Diana Bustamante, Julia Lebedev, Yulia Evina Bhara, Alex C. Lo, and Daniel Bekerman
- New Comedic Voices in Feature Film with Maude Apatow & Raffi Donatich (Poetic License), Jonatan Etzler & Jess O’Kane (Bad Apples), and Chandler Levack (Mile End Kicks)
- Short Cuts to First Features with Lloyd Lee Choi (Lucky Lu), Sasha Leigh Henry (Dinner With Friends), Taratoa Stappard (Mārama), and Eva Thomas (Nika & Madison) – Presented by the Directors Guild of Canada
- Modern Whore: From Book to Screen with Nicole Bazuin
PERSPECTIVES
Moderated panel discussions on the current state of industry. The Media Partner for Perspectives is Screen International, with additional speakers to be confirmed.
- Accessible Productions: Best Practices – Co-programmed with the Disability Screen Office and supported by Telefilm Canada
- Building Inclusive and Collaborative Productions with Jennifer Podemski, Ama Ampadu, Karen Harnisch, and Tamara Dawit
- Latin American Cinema in Challenging Times with Manuel García, Nicolás Celis, Claudia Triana Soto, and Fernando Juan Lima
- Producing Elevated Art-House Series with Baltasar Kormákur, Sameer Nair, and Gwen Gorst
- Sourcing Stories in a Multi-Platform World with Adam Levine and Bradley Hope
- Unlocking New Possibilities for Storytelling with AI with Nikola Todorovic, Christina Lee Storm, Ángel Manuel Soto, Seungwoo Kim, and Don Allen Stevenson III
- Cinema on the Rise: Expanding Opportunities Across MENA with Zain Duraie (Sink) and Seyhmus Altun (As We Breathe) —
- Indigenous Perspectives on Creative Sovereignty in Co-Productions
MICROSESSIONS
Moderated panel discussions with key subject matter experts programmed in collaboration with industry partners.
- Coming Soon: Developing New Work in South Korea – Presented in Partnership with the Korean Cultural Centre Canada
- SIRA | Inside the African Grid Shaping Our Future: Creating Roadmaps to Co-Production and Sales in the Global Marketplace – Presented by SIRA – The African Hub
- Maximizing Co-Production with Canada: Meet the Provinces – Presented by Ontario Creates
- Are You Ready to Apply to Telefilm Canada? – Presented by Telefilm Canada with media partner Playback
- Exploring the Futures of Distribution – Presented by Telefilm Canada with media partner Playback
- The UK: Where Partnerships Bring Stories to Life – Presented by British Film Commission, British Film Institute, UK Department of Business and Trade, and VisitBritain
SPOTLIGHT
Breakfast events with national and regional promotion agencies and industry organizations focusing on pitching, networking, and project financing.
- Gold Pitch Filmmaker Showcase – Presented by Gold House
- Northern Ontario: Above and Beyond – Presented by Cultural Industries Ontario North
- Italy, Your Strategic Film Partner! B2B Co-Producing with Italy – Presented by Italian Trade Agency
- Italy, Your Strategic Film Partner! Filming in Italy Forum – Presented by Italian Trade Agency
- Producing the Vision: Balancing Artistry and Efficiency – Presented by Greenslate, Circus, and Angle on Producers
- AI on the Roof – Presented by AI on the Lot
- New HERizons: Asian Women Shaping Film – Presented by Taiwan Creative Content Agency
BUYERS IN FOCUS (new this year)
As TIFF marks its 50th edition, Buyers in Focus emerges as a new pillar of the TIFF Industry Conference, offering attendees more access to decision-makers, and laying the groundwork for TIFF: The Market in 2026. This series of conversations offers an inside look at the evolving strategies, challenges, and opportunities shaping today’s film marketplace and distribution landscape.
Featured companies include: BF Distribution, Bir Film, Blue Pictures Entertainment, Constantin Film, Curzon Film, FilmOne Entertainment, Filmladen Filmverleih GmbH, Globo Comunicação e Participações S.A., Impact Films, La Subterránea, MAD Solutions & Arab Cinema Center, Madman Entertainment, Mongrel Media, NonStop Entertainment, RAI Cinema, September Film, Sony Pictures Classics, and more.
SPECIAL EVENTS
TIFF’s partners host exclusive conversations, including onstage podcasts, with some of the Festival’s most exciting directors and actors. More Industry Conference Special Events will be shared soon to registered professionals.
- Academy Conversation: The Changing Landscape of Distribution – Co-programmed by AMPAS
- Series Up Close with Mae Martin – Presented by the Directors Guild of Canada – Ontario and Media Partner, Deadline
- The Ankler & Pure Nonfiction LIVE with Mariska Hargitay and Thom Powers (TIFF Docs)
- Sloan Science & Technology Project Pitch – Creators pitch their feature film or episodic scripts featuring science and technology themes in front of a live audience and a panel of decision-makers.
- Sloan Science on Film Showcase – A scientific expert joins the director Ildikó Enyedi of Silent Friend at this Official Selection film’s Q&A to discuss its science and technology themes. Funding is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s Public Understanding of Science and Technology program.
TIFF TALENT DEVELOPMENT at the TALENT HUB
The following programmes are designed to support the development of emerging directors, producers, writers, and showrunners, and their projects:
Labs
- Directors’ Lab – Returning in 2025, reimagined to include more business development support, and fall under future Market plans
- Series Accelerator – Presented by Canada Media Fund
- Every Story Accelerator – Supported by RBC Foundation
Summit, Showcases & Funds
- CHANEL Women Creators’ Network Micro Talent Summit – Supported by CHANEL
- CJ & TIFF K-Story Fund – Supported by CJ Cultural Foundation and The Korean Film Council
- Monkeypaw Productions’ NO DRAMA Short Film Showcase – Powered by the Universal Filmmakers Project and TIFF
The Industry Conference schedule and more information on all sessions is now available on tiff.net. Industry accreditation, including access to the Industry Conference, can be purchased online until August 22 and onsite at the Hyatt Regency starting September 2. The TIFF Industry Conference is supported by Major Supporters Ontario Creates and Telefilm Canada. The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs September 4–14, 2025.
