Toronto, Ontario
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. The 11-day festival brings more than 700,000 visitors to Toronto and accounts for more than $114 million in economic activity in the region. It also serves as a networking event for the Canadian film industry and a showcase for up and coming homegrown talent. Due to the pandemic, the event transitioned to mostly digital screenings in 2020 and 2021, which resulted in lost revenue for the festival and local tourism sector. The Government of Canada is committed to revitalizing major events and festivals, like TIFF, supporting their important contributions to local economies and positioning them for a strong future.
Today, the Honourable Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety and Member of Parliament for Eglinton-Lawrence, announced a non-repayable investment of $10 million to support the in-person return of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). This non-repayable contribution, through the Major Events and Festivals Support Initiative (MFESI), will enable the festival to return to its pre-pandemic scale and safely welcome back attendees. The announcement was made on behalf of the Honourable Helena Jaczek, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).
With this investment, TIFF will increase the number of indoor venues used for screenings, support the return of the Street Festival and events leading up to and during the festival, as well as implement enhanced health measures to keep visitors safe. The return of TIFF will also have significant spill-over benefits for the local economy, including the tourism and hospitality sectors.
The announcement was made at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, at an event celebrating Canadian talent and 47 Canadian films selected to screen at this year's festival.
