TIFF at 50: Charlotte Mickie on the unusual beginning of a beautiful friendship

Charlotte Mickie has worked in international film sales and acquisitions since 1988, holding senior roles at Celluloid Dreams, Mongrel International, eOne, Alliance Atlantis, and Alliance. She currently owns a consulting company, Charlotte Shows. She has attended TIFF since 1988.

What’s one of your favourite memories from TIFF?

I’m thinking of The Hanging Garden from 1997, directed by Canadian Thom Fitzgerald. We encountered each other at a pitch session organised by Telefilm Canada. I found the concept TV-ish (embarrassing for me to think of that now), and we both got testy with each other. But he left me the script, and it was very special. I bought the international sales rights for Alliance, which also took domestic rights, and it opened Perspectives Canada at TIFF.

The buyers were lined up that night, excited, and then so emotional after. The film won the TIFF People’s Choice Award (huge!), tied for Best Canadian Film with The Sweet Hereafter, and sold all over the world, including to MGM for the US. The best part: despite what I thought was a rocky start, Thom and I became great friends. He stayed with my mother in Montreal while he did post on Beefcake, and they became close, too. When she died, we had a celebration of life, and Thom came in from the United States for the event. I was so touched.

What makes TIFF special?

It’s in a city and Torontonians really appreciate the chance to see films and really participate. They go to the screenings so you can gauge audience response, which is very important for the buyers. Equally, it leads into that US award season, so it’s a terrific launchpad. And you have the benefits of a big city in the fall: there’s lots of places to eat, there’s lots of stuff to do, and the people who attend from out of town really like that.

How has TIFF evolved over the years?

For my first couple of times at TIFF there was a lot of excitement, because whereas Montreal was very much a foreign-language festival, TIFF brought English-language films. I remember being at the party for Earth Girls Are Easy [TIFF world premiere 1998] and thinking how exciting it was to see Geena Davis and Jeff Goldblum. It was the Festival Of Festivals and felt like a homey event then, but then it became more of a red carpet highway to the awards season and it exploded.

Where do you go to hang at a café or restaurant?

Secret fussy-fun Edwardian place for lunch: Maison Selby. Dive bar food: Hanmoto. And lesser-known but great fun, before or after Hanmoto, just cruise Dundas Street west of Ossington.

• TIFF at 50: Deepa Mehta on her first memory of feeling Canadian