TIFF: The Market (September 10-16, 2026) has pulled back the lid a little further on its inaugural event as organisers said more than 250 international buyers are being invited to attend “in addition to the 800 buyers who attend TIFF annually”.
At time of writing, Screen was awaiting confirmation that the market is paying for or helping the new cohort of distributors with travel and/or accommodation and badge costs.
TIFF: The Market is backed by a USD $16.9m (C$23m) investment from the Canadian federal government and supported by Telefilm Canada.
Organisers said there will be 650 market screening slots at “premium screens” including TIFF Lightbox and Scotiabank. These will begin at TIFF Lightbox two days before the festival (September 10-20, 2026) and market kick off, offering sellers ”the unique opportunity to invite a curated, public test audience to their screenings, bridging the market and festival experience”.
UTA Independent Film Group, WME Independent, and CAA Media Finance are confirmed participants and will attend with “completed and packaged projects” – something they have already been doing for many years on an opportunistic basis depending on the production cycle.
It remains to be seen if the agencies and independent sales companies envision a significant expansion of activity. At the recent AFM in Los Angeles, sales agents, producers and financiers repeated their concerns to Screen that the timing of a September market shortly after the summer holiday period will be challenging. Others said they welcomed the opportunity for another sales forum.
As Screen first reported, the market hub is Metro Toronto Convention Centre a short walk from TIFF Lightbox. The venue will host 120 exhibitor spaces, “multiple” market programming stages, business lounges, an innovation zone, and market screenings at the venue’s new cinemas.
Additionally, sales suites will be available at nearby hotels such as the InterContinental Toronto Centre, and The Ritz-Carlton. There was no word on whether the offering includes Soho Hotel Toronto, a popular hub where US sellers have transacted for years.
“The alignment of TIFF: The Market with our annual festival provides a unique opportunity for buyers and distributors,” said TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey. “As the largest public film festival in the world, there is no better place than TIFF to get a pulse on what is resonating with audiences.”
Charles Tremblay, who was unveiled as TIFF: The Market head in late August, added that “strong buy-in and support for the market from key stakeholders including major film agencies, alongside sales companies, international buyers, national promotional bodies, and prospective partners across the industry” underscored the timeliness of the event.
The market will host a seven-day speaker summit, an innovation hub platforming eight projects across AI, XR and immersive content; a project market for titles in development supporting co-production; an IP showcase for prospective producers, financiers, and studios; and talent development labs for directors, screenwriters, and series creators.
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