TIFF Announces Screening Venues for the 47th Edition
by KM, Movie Lightbox
Spring is just right around the corner but the biggest fall film event in North America is already gearing up for its 47th edition. Initial plans and official screening venues for the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival have been announced today. After staging a hybrid festival for the last two editions of the fest, TIFF will be hosting a fully in-person festival welcoming audiences, press and industry members back to the vibrant city of Toronto. A new screening venue on King Street (Festival Street) will be hosting premieres during the festival - the Royal Alexandra Theatre. Built in 1907, it is the oldest continously operating theatre in North America with a 1200-seat capacity. TIFF Tribute Awards, which honour film industry’s outstanding contributors and their achievements will be an in-person gala event at the historic Fairmont Royal York Hotel. This year also marks the return of the Festival Street featuring live performances, activations and outdoor screenings.
“The city of Toronto is buzzing with excitement, as celebrations that make this city so unique return in full force,” said Cameron Bailey, TIFF CEO. The 47th Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 8-18. Here’s the official statement from TIFF:
The Toronto International Film Festival® (TIFF) marks its 47th edition by welcoming audiences, press, and industry members back to the vibrant city of Toronto. Hosting a fully in-person Festival, TIFF 2022’s official screening venues across the city will include TIFF Bell Lightbox, Roy Thomson Hall, the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, Scotiabank Theatre Toronto, and the Royal Alexandra Theatre. Recognized as the world’s largest public film festival, TIFF kicks off September 8, 2022 for 11 days of international and Canadian cinema, press and industry screenings, special events, and red carpets featuring some of the biggest names in film. The TIFF Tribute Awards gala fundraiser will take place on Sunday, September 11 at Fairmont Royal York. TIFF’s Industry Conference, offering diverse and innovative perspectives on the art and business of film, will take place in person September 9–13 at the Glenn Gould Studio, with business activity taking place at our Industry Centre located at the Hyatt Regency Toronto on King Street.
Joining the list of screening venues in 2022 is the iconic Royal Alexandra Theatre, located in the heart of TIFF’s festival footprint. Built in 1907 in the beaux-arts style with a capacity of over 1,000 seats, the Royal Alexandra is a national historic landmark in Toronto and has hosted many events, performances, musicals, and plays on its world-recognized stage. Most notably, the Royal Alexandra was home to countless Broadway theatre hits, and its stage has been graced by some of the most talented 20th-century film artists, including Mary Pickford, the Marx Brothers, Olivia de Havilland, Ingrid Bergman, Fanny Brice, Fred Astaire, Mae West, Orson Welles, and John Barrymore, along with many other influential performers.
“The city of Toronto is buzzing with excitement, as celebrations that make this city so unique return in full force,” said Cameron Bailey, TIFF CEO. “Restrictions have lifted, borders have opened up, and travelling back to Toronto has become much easier. As TIFF celebrates the full cinema experience, we are proud and overjoyed to be welcoming our audiences back. Film lovers can enjoy screenings of the most exciting new cinema from around the world in the heart of the city, including the newly announced Royal Alexandra Theatre, feel the hustle and bustle of Festival Street, and catch a glimpse of their favourite stars — but most of all they can immerse themselves back into that moviegoing experience Toronto audiences love.”
This year also marks the return of the beloved Festival Street, where part of King Street — from Peter Street to University Avenue — will be celebrating all things film. The free family-friendly street festival will feature live performances, partner activations, and outdoor screenings September 8–11, 2022.
Continuing the celebrations at the historic Fairmont Royal York hotel, the fourth annual TIFF Tribute Awards returns to an in-person gala event on Sunday, September 11, 2022. Through the years, Fairmont Royal York has played host to royal guests, heads of state, and prolific performers, including Ella Fitzgerald, Eartha Kitt, Tony Bennett, and Tina Turner, among other legendary names. It has served as the backdrop to movies such as Edoardo Ponti’s Between Strangers, Ron Howard’s Cinderella Man, Atom Egoyan’s Chloe, Allen Coulter’s Hollywoodland, and Tom McCarthy’s Spotlight. A landmark in Toronto’s cinematic history, Fairmont Royal York once again hosts the TIFF Tribute Awards, which honour the film industry’s outstanding contributors and their achievements, recognizing leading industry members, acting talent, directorial expertise, emerging talent, and a below-the-line artist. The 2022 TIFF Tribute Awards gala fundraiser will support TIFF’s Every Story fund to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in film, and TIFF’s core mission to transform the way people see the world through film.