TIFF isn’t perfect, but perfection isn’t the point of art.
One of Canada’s oldest and most influential festivals, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) kicked off its 50th anniversary on Sept. 4 with a premiere of the Canadian documentary, John Candy: I Like Me (2025). Despite premiering multiple Oscar nominees, TIFF has recently faced criticism for screening an abundance of Hollywood fanfare—or Oscar bait—with critics arguing TIFF needs to be more selective with its choices in order to continue being fiscally successful.
This amounts to an unfair critique of a festival dedicated to premiering arthouse and independent cinema, one that consistently earns international recognition and fosters national pride.
In an editorial published by The Globe and Mail, critic Barry Hertz takes aim at the festival’s Hollywoodish antics, claiming TIFF needs to curate its selection more if it wants to continue to garner international recognition.
Hertz notes that festivals are costly, with TIFF running a $6.6 million deficit after the 2023 strikes. Yet, the festival rebounded the next year, back, generating $3.1 million in revenue.
Regardless of the balance sheet, art’s “success” shouldn’t be reduced to dollar figures. Art’s worth lies in its intrinsic value and human connection—not its economic return. Measuring a festival’s worth on revenue alone undermines the very essence of TIFF: to share the love of cinema.
With festivals shutting down, others scaling back, and galleries closing their doors, the global art market has seen a 12 percent decline. Now isn’t the time to be criticizing important international film festivals; instead, we should be uplifting and celebrating the impact of art.
That said, TIFF hasn’t been without its missteps—some programming choices, such as Pamela Anderson’s anticipated return to the screen in The Last Showgirl (2024), have fallen flat in the eyes of many critics. Additionally, Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch (2024) was released on Disney+ shortly after screening at TIFF, and Breathe (2017) featured no plot and no likable characters. Part of TIFF’s role is to take risks and champion emerging or unconventional voices, which means not every selection will land as a critical success.
Even with the bad comes some good, and TIFF has screened some incredible films over the years, including last year’s best picture, Anora (2024). Other critically acclaimed films screened at TIFF include Slumdog Millionaire (2008), Parasite (2019), and The Brutalist (2024).
Not every piece of art is going to be well-received. It’s important to remember that failures give the audience the perspective necessary to appreciate truly good cinema. Criticism directed towards the lack of constant screening of top movies is unfounded, especially at a festival that screens over 200 films per year and is committed to uplifting independent and arthouse cinema.
Success or failure, TIFF should be celebrated for continuing to screen movies regardless of criticism or financial circumstances.
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50th Anniversary, critics, TIFF, Toronto International Film Festival
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