• Toronto International Film Festival™ (TIFF) Partnership

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Visa has been a proud sponsor of the Toronto International Film Festival since 1997

Through our TIFF partnership, Visa provides cardholders with exclusive benefits such as ticket pre-sale, priority line, and lounge access at the Visa Screening Room and at Roy Thomson Hall during the Festival.

Expanding Access to TIFF: Visa Sharing the Screen

In 2022, Visa expanded its partnership with TIFF through the introduction of a new program called Visa Sharing The Screen. Visa Sharing the Screen provides access to TIFF programming to TIFF community partners from various underrepresented groups. Programming includes exclusive curated events, film screenings, intimate Q&As with creators (directors, talent, etc.), and more. The Program provides access during the Festival in September as well as year-round events at TIFF Light Box. In addition to the exclusive events, each year, Visa will provide 500 complimentary tickets to screenings throughout the Festival to TIFF community partners.

Past events

2022 FESTIVAL EVENT

“Bros” Reception and Creator Talk with Sanaa Lathan on “On the Come Up”

To kick off Visa Sharing the Screen at TIFF 2022, TIFF and Visa invited 100 individuals from 2SLGBTQ+ communities to celebrate queer joy, love, and friendship at the highly anticipated World Premiere of “Bros.” Before the screening, Visa invited attendees to mix and mingle with one another at an exclusive reception.
 
Also in 2022, TIFF hosted actor and director Sanaa Lathan for an intimate creator talk following the World Premiere of Lathan’s feature debut, “On the Come Up.” This event welcomed 44 emerging BIPOC creatives to connect with Lathan during a moderated conversation about her journey in the film industry and the filmmaking process.

2023 YEAR-ROUND EVENT

Page to Screen — Catherine Hernandez and Clement Virgo on Adapting “Scarborough” and “The Story of Us”

In its second year, Visa provided 100 complimentary tickets to an onstage conversation with author and award-winning screenwriter Catherine Hernandez (“Scarborough”) and award-winning writer-director Clement Virgo (“The Book of Negroes,” “Brother”) about the art of literary adaptation, and the rewarding process of depicting Scarborough and its vibrant communities on page and on screen.

Following the in-cinema event, Hernandez signed copies of “The Story of Us” and connected with 30 emerging BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ+–identifying creatives during an informal creator talk. Visa generously provided complimentary copies of Hernandez’s book to all Visa Sharing the Screen attendees.

2023 FESTIVAL EVENT

Creator Talk with Fawzia Mirza on “The Queen of My Dreams”

At TIFF 2023, we hosted a creator talk with actor-comedian-writer-producer Fawzia Mirza on her directorial feature debut, “The Queen of My Dreams,” with 46 attendees from 2SLGBTQ+ and South Asian communities.

This engaging discussion and Q&A touched on Mirza’s career trajectory, activism, and commitment to championing underrepresented voices and identities, and on what drives her to keep creating.

2024 YEAR-ROUND EVENT

Creator Talk with Amanda Parris on “For the Culture with Amanda Parris”

To celebrate the launch of “For the Culture with Amanda Parris,” a new point-of-view documentary series on CBC Gem that centres Blackness and Black folks around the world, creator, producer, and host Amanda Parris joined us for a free screening of the first episode and an onstage conversation about the series.

Through Visa Sharing the Screen, 75 emerging BIPOC creators also participated in an exclusive moderated conversation with Amanda Parris.

Community partners

Visa Sharing the Screen has engaged over 30 community partners. TIFF’s network of community partners includes non-profit organizations, registered charities, and peer-led groups serving communities that identify as experiencing multiple barriers to equal access, opportunities, and resources in the arts. This includes, but is not limited to, BIPOC, 2SLGBTQ+, immigrant and newcomer, and disabled communities.