This my 18th year “at TIFF”. If we can count the time that I happen to stumble upon a Midnight Madness showing of Eli Roth’s Cabin Fever then yes, it is my 18th year coming to the Toronto International Film Festival.
I can’t recall missing any given year and I’ve at least caught one movie every time.
One memorable year was with my friend Betty who was volunteering for another movie and I saved us a seat for a movie at the Elgin Theatre for rush tickets. I was sitting on Yonge Street. It was worth it.
Or the time I rushed my very first TIFF year and after finishing the movie, I was walking home in the warm rain (it was still warm in the middle of September 2002, go figure) and was absolutely drenched when I returned to my dorm room, with my roommate already fast asleep. It was worth it.
Fast-forward to this year’s festival, #TIFF19, and it I’m taking time off to “do” twenty movies. Yes, 20. Two. Zero. It’s not a lot and not too few and with two more films to go, it’s been a wonderful, fantastic ride.
Notable favourites of mine have been: A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, starting Tom Hanks. Also Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life wasn’t one I had originally chosen but glad I saw it with a packed theatre with fellow cinephiles. Another one was part of TIFF’s Primetime lineup features new TV series, including a beloved and viral fictional podcast-turned-tv series produced by Facebook Watch. It’s called Limetown starting Jessica Biel and it is and I hope it continues to be riveting.
It was worth it.