The Toronto International Film Festival, one of the leading launching pads for fall movies and Oscar contenders, typically hosts 250-400 films
NEW YORK — The Toronto International Film Festival, one of the leading launching pads for fall movies and Oscar contenders, on Wednesday announced plans for a smaller 2020 edition with virtual red carpet premieres and drive-in screenings.
The Toronto festival, held annually in early September, is typically a sprawling city-wide affair that hosts between 250-400 feature-length films and the debuts of many of the fall movie season’s top releases. Due to the pandemic, organizers said that this year’s festival will be contingent on the go-ahead from Ontario health officials.
But for now, TIFF is radically remaking itself. The normal 10 days of festival-going will be halved, at least in physical screenings. For the festival’s first five days, it will present social-distanced screenings of premieres, including drive-ins and outdoor screenings.
For the first time, TIFF will also roll out a digital platform of digital screenings and talks that will span the full 10 days of the festival.
