My experience going to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) was nothing short of amazing! It was such an incredible experience to walk around Toronto for a week, attend industry conferences, and see the world premiere of films with their cast and crew.

I was lucky enough to attend the festival last year, but this year was somehow even more memorable. A large part that had to do with it was the number of celebrities that were in attendance this year. This led to an increase in films being presented as well as insight industry conversations that were held with special guests.

Being able to listen to industry professionals at these conferences was extremely insightful. The topics ranged from how to promote films using this new wave of social media influencers and artists, to actors like Cate Blanchet and Zoe Saldana sharing behind the scenes stories of filmmaking. These conversations impacted my view of how films are being made now versus 20 years ago and what tactics can be used to better promote films in this digital age. As someone who’s career goal is to one day work on the promotional side of filmmaking, these talks meant the most to me.

Plus, there were some incredible films that I got to watch before they were even released. Some of my favorite films from the festival were “We Live In Time” staring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield, as well as “The Substance” starring Demi Moore. All of these premieres were full of life and had an extremely interactive audience that made the experience a bit more special.

And of course, the city of Toronto is unlike anything else. I had truly some of the best food while I was on this program that ranged from incredible tacos to burgers and even Mediterranean. There is a huge mix of culture in Toronto, with food from all over the world that you can try.

Overall, I had a great time going to TIFF and hope more students discover this program too so they can experience this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Name: Ariel White
Status: Graduate
Major: Advertising and Public Relations
Hometown: McKinney, Texas
Program: Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)