TIFF: Celebrate Festival Street in the Heart of the Action with Free Music, Screenings and Fun

For the fourth year, the energy of the Toronto International Film Festival® will spill out into the street for all to enjoy. On opening weekend, September 7 to 10, King Street West between Peter Street and University Avenue will be temporarily converted into a pedestrian promenade for a celebration everyone is invited to.

"The public have always been the beating heart of the Festival," said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF. "Festival Street is the place where everyone can come together, take in some music, eat food that reflects the city's rich diversity and see a few screenings - all for free. It embodies the spirit of the Festival and truly is a special place to be."

Festival Street couldn't happen without the support of the people of Toronto. This year, TIFF has partnered with the TTC to say thank you to Torontonians for helping to bring this celebration to life on King Street. In addition to giving Metropass holders early access to tickets, TIFF and the TTC have also worked together to launch a social contest for Opening Night tickets and to set up a number of pop-up giveaways at select subway stations to show their collective gratitude.

Festival Street's programming offers something for everyone. Director Joseph Kahn's Bodied, a satirical film about battle rapping, will open the Midnight Madness programme. But first, Toronto rapper Alex Larsen (Kid Twist) will take the stage at Festival Street in an epic showdown with battle rapper Madness. The Slaight Music Stage will return with performances from up-and-comers including singer-songwriter Kayla Diamond.

As part of Canada on Screen, TIFF will also screen music videos selected to be a part of its list of 150 essential moving-Image works from Canada's cinematic history and will include appearances from special guests. Festival Street-goers can experience 2167, a collection of VR works created by Indigenous artists that envision Canada 150 years in the future. And Canada Can Act! will shine a light on memorable performances that have become iconic moments for Canadian actors with nightly screenings. Each screening will be preceded by a short film from TIFF's essential moving-image list.

Visitors can also check out one of the many food trucks or get a table on the extended patios along Restaurant Row and experience engaging partner activations. Last year, Festival Street drew 120,000 visitors in four days, and was a driving force behind increased revenue for local businesses.

For further details on the street closure and its impact on local services, please visit ttc.ca.

Learn more and see the full Festival Street schedule by visiting tiff.net on August 22.

The 2017 Toronto International Film Festival Official Film Schedule was released today and is available at TIFF Bell Lightbox or by visiting tiff.net/schedule.

Festival tickets go on sale September 4 at 10am (with TIFF Member pre-sale on September 2 from 10am to 4pm). Buy tickets online at tiff.net, by phone at 416.599.TIFF or 1.888.599.8433, or in person at a box office. See box office locations and hours at tiff.net/tickets.

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About TIFF: TIFF is a charitable cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world, through film. An international leader in film culture, TIFF projects include the annual Toronto International Film Festival in September; TIFF Bell Lightbox, which features five cinemas, major exhibitions, and learning and entertainment facilities; and innovative national distribution programme Film Circuit. The organization generates an annual economic impact of $189 million CAD. TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including Founding Sponsor Bell, the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation and RBC. For more information, visit tiff.net.

The Toronto International Film Festival is generously supported by Lead Sponsor Bell, Major Sponsors RBC, L'Oréal Paris and Visa, and Major Supporters the Government of Ontario, Telefilm Canada and the City of Toronto.

Festival Street is supported by the City of Toronto and the Government of Ontario.

Special Thanks to the Toronto Transit Commission and the Toronto Entertainment District BIA.

Special Thanks to the Slaight Family Foundation for their generous support of the Slaight Music Stage.

The Government of Canada, The Royal Bank of Canada and The Government of Ontario are Presenting Partners of Canada on Screen. / Le gouvernement du Canada, la Banque Royale du Canada, et le Gouvernement de l'Ontario sont des partenaires présentateurs de Canada à l'écran.

Telefilm Canada and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts are Supporting Partners of Canada on Screen