TIFF & TIFF: The MarketA New Chapter for Toronto’s Global Screen IndustryFor five decades, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has grown from a local film event into one of the world’s most influential public film festivals and a major meeting point for filmmakers, audiences, distributors, media and the international screen industry.

Founded in 1976 as the Festival of Festivals, TIFF was built around the idea of bringing the best of international cinema to Toronto. Over the decades, it evolved into a major global platform for discovery, talent, cultural exchange and film business.

The 2025 edition marked TIFF 50, celebrating half a century of the Festival.Today, TIFF operates as a not-for-profit cultural organisation whose mission is “to transform the way people see the world through film.” Its activities extend beyond the annual Festival to include TIFF Lightbox, the TIFF Film Circuit, year-round public and industry programming, professional development and, from 2026, TIFF: The Market.

TIFF estimates its annual economic impact at approximately CAD $240 million.TIFF

TIFF Leadership

Cameron Bailey is the Chief Executive Officer of TIFF. A long-time member of the organisation, Bailey has worked across programming and artistic leadership and became CEO in 2021, following his earlier tenure as Artistic Director and co-head of the Festival. His leadership has coincided with a period of significant institutional development, including the expansion of TIFF's industry activities and the creation of its first official content market.

Under Bailey's leadership, TIFF has increasingly positioned itself not only as a place to watch films, but as a platform where the international screen industry can discover, develop, finance, distribute and connect around stories.

TIFF: The Market

A New Global Marketplace for Screen Storytelling

In September 2026, TIFF launches TIFF: The Market, its first official content market, marking a major new chapter for the organisation and for Toronto's position within the international screen industry. The inaugural Market runs September 10–16, 2026, alongside the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.

The Market has been designed to bring together the global film, series and innovation industries in Toronto, creating a marketplace where creative and commercial opportunities can meet.

Its scope goes beyond traditional feature-film sales. TIFF describes the Market as encompassing film, television/series, immersive and innovative content and other forms of screen-based storytelling, reflecting the increasingly interconnected nature of the global entertainment industry.

What Is the Objective?

The fundamental objective is to transform Toronto's existing concentration of talent, audiences, industry professionals and international attention during TIFF into a stronger year-round and global business platform.

TIFF: The Market aims to:

Connect creators with buyers, distributors, financiers and industry partners
Create new opportunities for the buying, selling and financing of screen content and intellectual property
Bring together film, television and emerging/innovative media
Strengthen Toronto's position as an international centre for the screen industries
Support the commercial development of Canadian and international projects
Encourage new forms of collaboration across traditional and emerging entertainment sectors
Create a more integrated environment where creative ambition and commercial opportunity can meet.

TIFF has described the Market as being designed around the fast-changing needs of the global screen industries, with the ambition of supporting the business of storytelling across traditional and innovative mediums.

Scale of the First Edition

The inaugural Market represents a substantial expansion of TIFF's industry infrastructure.

TIFF announced that the 2026 Market will include approximately 650 market screening slots, while more than 250 international buyers were being invited in addition to the roughly 800 buyers who traditionally attend TIFF each year.

By mid-2026, major international agencies and companies including CAA, UTA and WME had confirmed participation, alongside a growing group of international sales companies and content businesses.

The Market will be centred at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, creating a dedicated industry environment within downtown Toronto while remaining closely connected to the Festival's wider footprint.

A Significant Investment in Toronto's Screen Economy

The creation of TIFF: The Market is backed by a CAD $23 million investment from the Government of Canada over three years, with support from Telefilm Canada. The initiative is intended to strengthen Canada's position in the global screen economy and expand the economic and international impact of TIFF.

This is significant because it represents more than the creation of another industry event. It is an investment in Toronto as an international marketplace for stories, intellectual property, talent and screen businesses.

Why This Matters for AfroToronto

AfroToronto arrives at a particularly significant moment

Its inaugural edition takes place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, during the first edition of TIFF: The Market, placing AfroToronto within a newly expanded international ecosystem connecting filmmakers, producers, financiers, distributors, buyers, media and creative entrepreneurs from around the world.

This creates a natural alignment between the objectives of AfroToronto and TIFF: The Market: expanding access to international networks, creating opportunities for diverse stories and talent, strengthening industry connections and supporting the movement of ideas, intellectual property and creative projects across borders.

For Yanibes Foundation, this also creates an opportunity to connect the AfroToronto platform with the wider international ecosystem already developed through AfroCannes and AfroBerlin — linking three major international film environments and creating continuity for filmmakers, industry professionals, partners and institutions.

In that sense, AfroToronto is not simply an event taking place during TIFF. It is positioned as a platform participating in a significant new moment for Toronto's global screen industry.