TIFF Industry: Talent Development

Industry › Talent Development

Get advice from renowned industry experts!

TIFF Industry provides emerging filmmakers with critical professional development training during the Festival and throughout the year. Industry meetings and workshops push participants to explore film as a business, and to expand their creative approach. Award-winning alumni include Tracey Deer (Beans), Shasha Nakhai (Scarborough), and Luis De Filippis (Something You Said Last Night). TIFF has also committed to ensuring at least 50% of selected participants will be BIPOC and at least 50% will be women.

Thinking of applying to one or more of the below programmes? Please see our FAQ page for more information.

List

List

ND-LOGO-WHITE

Monkeypaw Productions’ NO DRAMA Powered by the Universal Filmmakers Project and TIFF

Seeking filmmakers with a unique voice who wish to explore genres, telling stories which transfix and transcend. What stories would you be able to tell if you had...

NO stereotypes. NO hurdles. NO barriers. NO DRAMA.

See More

CJ+KSTORYFUND

CJ & TIFF K-Story Fund

The CJ + TIFF K-Story Fund, presented by CJ Cultural Foundation and TIFF and in collaboration with KOFIC, is a new programme that aims to foster, support, and champion Korean-Canadian and Korean-American filmmakers looking to develop their first or second feature film.

See 2023 Participants

TIFF CBC Diverse Screenwriters Grant - Bottom Left

TIFF–CBC Films Screenwriter Award

A cash award is provided to the Canadian writer of an outstanding feature-film screenplay. Presented in partnership with CBC Films.

See More

Talent Page Writers Studio Bucket

Writers’ Studio

Writers’ Studio selects eight Canadian and international screenwriters to consolidate skills, exchange ideas, and develop scripts, all within a collaborative five-day intensive lab. Participants take part in workshops, artist talks, table reads, peer-to-peer mentorship, and one-on-one project development with story consultants.

Alumni are invited to participate in the CHANEL Women Writers’ Network, which provides women and non-binary participants with ongoing script development support after the programme ends.

See More

Sloan Pitch GGS INDUSTRY SONY RickClifford 20230910-09864

Breakthroughs: The Sloan Science on Screen Programme

A new initiative putting science in the spotlight at TIFF and equipping filmmakers with creative support and industry connections to strengthen and highlight their feature-length or episodic projects about science and technology.

Funding for this programme, which includes a pitch event, writer fellowship, and film showcase, provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s Public Understanding of Science and Technology program.

See More

IND filmmakers lab

Filmmaker Lab

Each year, 20 Canadian and international directors receive an exceptional professional development experience at the Toronto International Film Festival, and an introduction to the global community of filmmaking. Over a five-day period, participants have the opportunity to interact with and learn from internationally acclaimed filmmakers and guests.

Fellowships generously supported by Every Story and Share Her Journey donors ensure that programme participants are given additional financial support to help them fulfill their creative vision.

See 2023 Participants

IND-Series Accelerator

Series Accelerator

Launched at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, the Series Accelerator programme, presented by Canada Media Fund, is a two-day mentorship intensive that will offer tailored training for eight Canadian series creator teams from underrepresented communities to refine their pitches and develop a business plan for their projects, with guidance from a pitch coach and industry professionals.

See 2023 Participants

2023 Rising Stars bw

Rising Stars

TIFF Rising Stars is part of our ongoing commitment to promoting Canadian and international cinema and talent on the world stage. This programme showcases new talent from all over the world, putting an emphasis on the next generation of actors poised for international success.

See 2023 Participants

IND-EveryStoryAccelerator

Every Story Accelerator

TIFF Every Story Accelerator, presented by the RBC Screen Creators’ Initiative, is a new programme that aims to help advance projects from emerging creators with diverse backgrounds, who identify as Black, Indigenous, a person of colour, 2SLGBTQ+ and/or from other equity-deserving groups. Each year, two producer/director teams with feature-length projects in post-production will receive targeted support to pitch their projects to industry decision-makers in three key markets. Both participating teams in 2023 will receive a Micki Moore Fellowship, supported by Toronto-based broadcaster, journalist and actor Micki Moore.

See 2023 Participants