TORONTO URBAN FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FULL LINEUP, ADDS NEW PROGRAM TO LAUNCH MILESTONE YEAR FROM SEPT 10 – 18
TORONTO (August 10, 2016) – Toronto Urban Film Festival (TUFF) takes over TTC platforms and screens with international films from September 10 – 18. This year marks the 10-year anniversary of North America’s first, largest and longest-running commuter Film Festival that reaches over 1.4 million people each day throughout the duration of the Festival. To kick off its 10th year, TUFF organizer Sharon Switzer and accomplished programmer Angie Driscoll have curated TUFF TEN, a selection of new short films from previous TUFF winners including Midi Onodera, James Stewart and Ananya Ohri, among other groundbreaking programs.
“TUFF is committed to showcasing cinema that challenges the boundaries of art, film and public space,” says TUFF founder and organizer Sharon Switzer. “We are proud to offer travellers a uniquely urban cinematic experience that reminds them of the culture they have access to while living and working in Toronto. TUFF wants to inspire people to re-imagine their daily commute and daily lives.”
For the 2016 Festival, TUFF received 485 submissions from 60 countries, including 216 from Canada – 104 of which are from Toronto. TUFF’s 10th year anniversary edition will be screening 72 official selections from 26 countries, 31 of which are from Canada.
TUFF’s 10-year anniversary programming includes the following 10 programs:
- TUFF TEN (Sept 10) new Canadian shorts from previous TUFF award winners;
- Outta My Way! (Sept 11) a program of shorts that highlight tenacity and perseverance;
- Waterworld (Sept 12), an exploration of scarcity, conservation and plumbing;
- Heads Up! (Sept 13), cautionary tales for modern times;
- Slow Your Roll (Sept 14), a collection of reminders to slow down and take the road less traveled;
- Labelles (Sept 15), portrayals of women as witches, wives and everything in-between;
- Twist and Shout (Sept 16), shorts that will keep you guessing;
- Solitary (Sept 17), yearnings for connection and kinship;
- Waking Nightmare (Sept 18), dark visions of lost souls and raccoons defeating evil
- In addition, Too TUFF For The TTC is a program of mature shorts hosted exclusively on the TUFF website
Save the date: TUFF hosts an official press conference on September 7, at 10:30am – 11:30am. Press conference speakers include TUFF organizer Sharon Switzer and TUFF 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and returning filmmaker in the 2016 TUFF TEN program, Midi Onodera. More speakers TBD.
Screeners, interviews and more program information available.
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ABOUT TUFF
Toronto Urban Film Festival is the first of its kind in North America and is North America’s largest and longest-running commuter film festival, reaching over one million daily commuters on subway platform screens across the Toronto transit system every September. TUFF features silent, 60-second film video and animation. TUFF honours its artists with annual awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Awards and Best Local Film. The 2016 Guest Judge is Zaib Shaikh, City of Toronto’s Film Commissioner & Director of Entertainment Industries. Previous TUFF Guest Judges include Patricia Rozema, Deepa Mehta and Jennifer Baichwal. TUFF was founded by Art for Commuters and Pattison Onestop and is sponsored by PATTISON Onestop.
www.torontourbanfilmfestival.com @TUFFest
ABOUT PATTISON Onestop
PATTISON Onestop is a world leader in the development and operation of Digital Out-of-Home media (DOOH). Onestop creates and delivers uniquely engaging experiences that connect the physical and digital worlds, and provides audiences timely and relevant information in engaging spaces. Onestop leverages proprietary technology to deploy digital campaigns for mass transit, office, airport, residential, and retail environments, as well as being the exclusive media provider in the PATH – Toronto’s underground walkway connecting office towers and subway stations to over 1,200 shops and services. Its award-winning in-house digital production agency, Fourth Wall Media, develops and executes unique and engaging campaigns, and works with some of the world’s biggest brands to create innovative experiential and interactive executions. Onestop is a division of PATTISON Outdoor Advertising.
www.pattisononestop.com @onestopmedia
