TIFF 2026: Bailey Highlights Downtown Hub and Push for Gender Parity
TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey discusses the festival's downtown consolidation, street-level fan events, and progress toward gender parity in its lineup.
The Toronto International Film Festival is once again drawing crowds to the city's downtown core, with Roy Thomson Hall and the TIFF Lightbox serving as anchors for screenings and industry activity.
In remarks ahead of the festival's opening, TIFF Chief Executive Officer Cameron Bailey said the decision to centralize operations around the Lightbox has reshaped the event. He noted that the organization now runs five public cinemas during the festival, with three additional venues dedicated to industry screenings. The setup, he added, places the festival within walking distance of historic theatres such as the Princess of Wales, the Royal Alexandra and Roy Thomson Hall, as well as the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
"It's a natural hub for us now," Bailey said, describing the concentration of venues as a major advantage for both audiences and visiting professionals.
King Street is expected to close again for festival festivities, continuing a tradition that Bailey said has grown steadily since pandemic-era shutdowns in 2020. He described fan zones where the public can watch stars arrive for premieres at no cost, along with partner activations along what the festival calls Festival Street. According to Bailey, these free, street-level experiences often serve as an entry point for newcomers, some of whom return in later years to buy tickets.
On programming, Bailey said the first half of the festival leans toward world premieres, though primarily in the largest venues rather than across every theatre. He pointed to Chris Rock's "Misty Green" and Peter Farrelly's "I Play Rocky" as examples of films making their debut at the festival. At the same time, he stressed that TIFF remains a showcase for titles that have already screened at Cannes, Berlin and other international festivals.
Bailey also addressed the festival's inclusivity goals, saying that 35 per cent of films in the official selection are directed by women. That figure, he noted, meets a target the organization had set to reach by 2028, well ahead of schedule. He added that participation in TIFF's talent development programs is at least 50 per cent women, with a similar benchmark for speakers at its market summit.
"There's always more that we can and should be doing," Bailey said, describing gender parity as an ongoing project for TIFF and the wider industry.