Overview
TIFF Industry is the professional industry program that runs during the Toronto International Film Festival each September. For 2025, the 50th edition of TIFF runs September 4 through 14, with the Industry Conference taking place September 5 through 9. The 51st edition is scheduled for September 10 through 20, 2026. If you are a producer, distributor, sales agent, acquisitions executive, or financier looking to do business in North America, TIFF Industry is where those deals happen.
The organization generates an estimated annual economic impact of $240 million CAD. During the festival period, Toronto becomes the temporary center of the global film industry. Acquisitions deals, co-production agreements, and distribution arrangements are negotiated across the ten-day window. In 2025, TIFF remains an "unofficial market" with a unique business model rather than a traditional exhibitor-floor market. That changes in 2026.
TIFF: The Market (2026)
TIFF is launching an Official Content Market in 2026. TIFF: The Market will be a seven-day event designed to drive the global film, television, and innovation industries forward. It is funded by the Government of Canada and by Major Supporter Telefilm Canada. The market will include labs, fellowships, mentorship programs, and business meeting opportunities for creators and professionals. Applications for several market programs open in February 2026, with program attendance and business meetings scheduled for September 2026.
For 2025, TIFF continues to invite National Agencies and their sales agents to spotlight national cinema at the Industry Centre in the form of stands. Agencies can present and promote Official Selection films, presentations, and talent from their region to maximize visibility to the North American market. Companies interested in future exhibition opportunities for 2026 can contact sales@tiff.net.
Industry Accreditation
TIFF Industry accreditation provides access to Press and Industry screenings, the Industry Centre, and the Industry Conference. Accreditation for TIFF 50 (2025) opened June 2. Registration requests are reviewed within five business days of submission. Passes cannot be shared.
Who Qualifies
Industry accreditation is intended for film professionals who have been active in the film industry over the past two years. The program is geared toward producers, sales agents, distributors, exhibitors, talent agents, below-the-line crew, and writer-directors. Newcomers with under two years of professional experience, scholars, and students are directed to the Conference Pass instead.
Industry Membership vs. Accreditation
An Industry Membership offers year-round benefits: access to select TIFF Industry events, discounted tickets, and discounted rates for Festival passes. Members also receive discounts on Festival submissions. However, having an Industry Membership does not mean you are accredited for the Festival. For Festival access, you must register for accreditation separately.
Industry Centre Location
The Industry Centre is on the mezzanine level of the Hyatt Regency Hotel at 370 King St. W. Onsite pass pick-up and onsite registration hours:
- September 2 to 3: 10am to 8pm
- September 4 to 7: 8am to 8pm
- September 8 to 12: 8am to 6pm
- September 13: 8am to 12pm
Industry Conference
The TIFF 50 Industry Conference, presented by Christie Digital, runs September 5 through 9, 2025. It includes six pillars:
- Visionaries (supported by The Hollywood Reporter): onstage conversations with industry leaders. TIFF 50 speakers include Donna Langley (NBCUniversal), Andrea Scrosati (Fremantle), Yelena Rachitsky (Meta), Edward Berger, and Sterlin Harjo.
- Dialogues (Media Partner: Variety, supported by Ontario Creates): moderated conversations between directors, screenwriters, and producers about creative craft.
- Perspectives: panels on industry trends and issues.
- Microsessions: short-format professional development sessions.
- Spotlight: focused sessions on specific topics or talent.
- Buyers in Focus (new in 2025): panel conversations with global acquisition executives. Featured companies include Sony Pictures Classics, Constantin Film, Curzon Film, Madman Entertainment, Mongrel Media, RAI Cinema, and others. This pillar lays the groundwork for TIFF: The Market in 2026.
Industry accreditation, including access to the Industry Conference, can be purchased online until August 22 and onsite at the Hyatt Regency starting September 2.
Industry Selects
TIFF programs an Industry Selects slate each year: 10 standout, audience-ready titles from around the world, available for acquisition during the Festival. The 2025 slate spans drama, thriller, comedy, and documentary. Accredited industry professionals, including buyers, can download the Rights List Preview from the delegate resources site. The complete and final list is posted before the festival opens.
Talent Development Programs
TIFF's Talent Development programming includes labs, fellowships, and funds that support emerging creators and their projects. For 2026, TIFF: The Market will expand these offerings with:
- A 5-day professional development experience for emerging Canadian and international directors, with tailored creative mentorship. Applications open February 2026.
- A collaborative 5-day programme for emerging screenwriters, followed by a script polish period with a development executive. Applications open February 2026 for attendance in April 2026.
- A 4-day programme for Canadian series creator teams, focused on elevating premium episodic IP toward production and global markets. Applications open February 2026.
- A programme for mid-career Canadian producers building globally competitive feature slates.
- A storytelling development programme for experienced IP holders expanding film or television IP into immersive, interactive, and XR formats.
What Filmmakers Should Know
For Producers Seeking Deals
TIFF Industry gives you access to the largest concentration of potential co-production partners and distributors available in North America. The relationships built at TIFF often form the foundation for deals formally signed months later. The Industry Selects program and the Rights List give buyers a curated starting point for acquisition conversations.
For Filmmakers Submitting to TIFF
Submissions for the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival open February 27, 2026, via FilmFreeway. Early-Bird deadline is March 27, 2026. Standard deadline is May 8, 2026. Submission fees range from $50 CAD (Canadian shorts, early bird) to $155 CAD (features, standard deadline). Industry Members receive discounted submission rates. See the Toronto International Film Festival page for the full fee schedule.
For First-Time Attendees
If you have under two years of professional film industry experience, apply for the Conference Pass rather than full Industry accreditation. The Conference Pass gives you access to the Industry Conference sessions without the Press and Industry screening access. This is the most cost-effective way to experience TIFF Industry programming and begin building professional relationships.
Delegate Resources
Registered delegates get access to online resources including the Delegates List and networking tools. Delegate Resources for 2025 opened August 1. Login information is sent by email after registration confirmation. The 2025 Rights List Preview was available August 21, with the complete list posted by August 29.
Festival History
TIFF Industry has grown alongside the festival since TIFF's founding in 1976 as the Festival of Festivals. The industry component expanded as TIFF's international profile increased through the 1980s and 1990s. The opening of the TIFF Bell Lightbox, a year-round cultural center on King Street West with five cinemas, cemented the organization's position. In 2026, the launch of TIFF: The Market represents the most significant expansion of TIFF's industry programming to date, transitioning from an unofficial market model to a formal seven-day market event.
Past Winners
TIFF's top audience-voted prize is the People's Choice Award, widely seen as an Oscar bellwether. Twelve of the last 15 winners received Best Picture nominations at the Academy Awards. Four of them won the Oscar outright.
2025 People's Choice Award (TIFF 50):
- Winner: Hamnet, dir. Chloé Zhao. Zhao became the first director to win this award twice (also won in 2020 for Nomadland). The film is an Amblin-backed drama starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, released by Focus Features in November 2025.
- First runner-up: Frankenstein, dir. Guillermo del Toro (Netflix)
- Second runner-up: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, dir. Rian Johnson (Netflix)
2025 International People's Choice Award (new in 2025):
- Winner: No Other Choice, dir. Park Chan-wook. First runner-up: Sentimental Value, dir. Joachim Trier. Second runner-up: Homebound, dir. Neeraj Ghaywan.
2025 Platform Prize (TIFF's only juried competition):
- Winner: To the Victory!, dir. Valentyn Vasyanovych. Honorable mention: Hen, dir. György Pálfi.
2024 People's Choice Award (TIFF 49):
- Winner: The Life of Chuck, dir. Mike Flanagan. Acquired by Neon out of Toronto. Released theatrically in June 2025.
- Midnight Madness winner: The Substance, dir. Coralie Fargeat. Went on to earn multiple Oscar nominations including Best Picture.
- Documentary winner: The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal, dir. Mike Downie.
2023 People's Choice Award:
- Winner: American Fiction, dir. Cord Jefferson. Won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
TIFF's People's Choice Award has one of the strongest Oscar track records of any festival prize. Six winners went on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards:
- American Beauty (1999) - won Best Picture Oscar
- Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - won Best Picture Oscar
- The King's Speech (2010) - won Best Picture Oscar
- 12 Years a Slave (2013) - won Best Picture Oscar
- Green Book (2018) - won Best Picture Oscar
- Nomadland (2020) - won Best Picture Oscar; also won the Golden Lion at Venice
Other notable alumni films that premiered or had major launches at TIFF:
- The Life of Chuck (2024) - People's Choice winner, acquired by Neon for North American distribution, released June 2025
- American Fiction (2023) - People's Choice winner, won Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar
- The Fabelmans (2022) - People's Choice winner, received seven Oscar nominations including Best Picture
- Belfast (2021) - People's Choice winner, received seven Oscar nominations including Best Picture
- The Substance (2024) - Midnight Madness winner, earned five Oscar nominations including Best Picture for 2025
The TIFF Discovery section, which highlights first and second features, has launched careers of directors including Christopher Nolan, Barry Jenkins, Alfonso Cuarón, and Yorgos Lanthimos. These directors went on to win major awards and shape global cinema.
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
TIFF is not a juried festival in the traditional sense. The People's Choice Award is audience-voted, which means films that connect emotionally with large public audiences tend to win. If your film is a quiet art-house piece aimed at critics, TIFF's audience prize may not be your best indicator of success.
The Platform Prize is TIFF's only juried competition. It is programmed separately and tends toward formalist, art-driven cinema. If your film fits that profile, ask your sales agent about Platform consideration when submitting.
Industry Selects is curated for acquisition-ready titles with audience appeal. If your film is finished and seeking distribution, make sure your sales agent or producer rep flags it for Industry Selects consideration. The Rights List is distributed to all accredited buyers.
For the Discovery section, TIFF looks for first or second features from directors with a distinct visual or narrative voice. The section has launched major careers. Submit early in the submission window if you want programmer attention before the volume of entries peaks.
TIFF does not require a world premiere for most sections, but premiere status affects placement. World premieres get priority for Gala and Special Presentations slots. Films that have already played at Venice or Telluride can still screen at TIFF but may land in less prominent sections.
Industry Reputation Notes
For much of the past decade, TIFF has struggled to hold its ground against Venice and Telluride in the awards-season sweepstakes. Venice's Golden Lion is a juried prize with international art-cinema credibility. Telluride offers exclusive sneak previews that generate critical buzz in an intimate setting. TIFF's People's Choice is audience-driven, which gives it a different kind of predictive power.
The 2024 edition drew criticism for having too few Oscar contenders in its opening weekend lineup. Films like Emilia Pérez, Anora, and Conclave played Toronto but debuted at Cannes, Venice, or Telluride first. This pattern of films using TIFF as a second stop rather than a launch pad worried industry observers.
The 2025 edition showed signs of recovery. Hamnet's People's Choice win generated immediate Oscar buzz. A reported $15 million deal for Obsession signaled renewed buyer activity. The 50th anniversary edition drew over 700,000 guests and 6,000 industry delegates, numbers that rival any festival in the world.
The 2026 launch of TIFF: The Market is TIFF's most aggressive move to reclaim industry relevance. By adding a formal seven-day market to the festival, TIFF aims to compete directly with Berlin and Cannes as a deal-making destination, not just an awards-season launchpad.
Compared to Berlin's European Film Market, TIFF: The Market will be smaller but more strategically timed. September sits between Cannes (May) and Berlin (February), filling a gap in the global market calendar. Whether the market succeeds depends on whether sales agents and buyers show up in numbers that justify the investment.
Watch
See Also
For the main Toronto International Film Festival, see Toronto International Film Festival. For film market strategy, see International Film Markets. For distribution deal fundamentals, see Distribution Deals Explained. Use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator to evaluate whether attending TIFF Industry makes financial sense for your project.
