Free Film at TIFF

The 34th Toronto International Film Festival is proud to announce the full lineup of free outdoor events taking place at Yonge-Dundas Square (YDS) and that it will present a free screening of the Cadillac People’s Choice Award-winning film on closing night in the Visa Screening Room at the Elgin Theatre.

Last year’s winner was SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

“The free programming at Yonge-Dundas Square and the free screening of the Cadillac People’s Choice Award are gifts back to the city of Toronto,” said Festival Co-Director Cameron Bailey. “They’re a big thank you to our audiences for their ongoing support and commitment to the Festival, because it’s this devotion that continues to make it one of the best in the world.”

The complete YDS 2009 schedule, listed below and covering the duration of the Festival from September 10 to 19, has something for everyone. Additions to the lineup include Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman, who will host the Opening Night concert by DJ Champion; rapper Chuck D, who will host and perform at the Closing Night Festival Wrap Party; and the National Ballet of Canada, which will perform a preview presentation of its latest production from Aszure Barton in celebration of the Festival’s screening of Mao’s Last Dancer.

Taking the Festival experience beyond the cinema, the planned events at YDS offer a diverse and dynamic array of free programming that will create a new street-level hub of Festival activity in the heart of Toronto. The YDS 2009 Schedule includes daily events like the TIFF In Concert film series, featuring an eclectic mix of music-themed films preceded by a selection of short films from the National Film Board of Canada and musically charged shorts by Canadian filmmakers. The TIFF Shhh! series is another regular slot that will see classics from the silent film era screened to live musical accompaniment, and the TIFF YDS Spotlight series offers a host of free events, including movie spotlights, concerts, a roller-derby exhibition, a ballet presentation, swing-dancing lessons, the Toronto Zombie Walk and much more. All of this will be capped off by the Festival Wrap Party on Saturday, September 19. In addition to checking out these free events, all are invited to drop by the MeTV booth to record a quick message about their experience with the 2009 Festival, or whatever else comes to mind. For more about YDS programming, visit tiff.net/yds.

Voted on by Festival audiences, the Cadillac People’s Choice Award winner will be announced on the afternoon of September 19. Last year’s Cadillac People’s Choice Award winner was Danny Boyle’s multiple Academy Award®-winning Slumdog Millionaire. Previous People’s Choice Award winners include Eastern Promises (David Cronenberg, TIFF 2007), Bella (Alejandro Gomez Monteverde, TIFF 2006), Tsotsi (Gavin Hood, TIFF 2005) and Hotel Rwanda (Terry George, TIFF 2004).

Tickets for the free screening of the Cadillac People’s Choice Award-winning film will be available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 7 p.m. on September 19 at the box office for the Visa Screening Room at the Elgin Theatre. For more information, visit tiff.net.