Lights, Camera, Action! TIFF Bell Lightbox Opens To The Public With A Free Block Party For Audiences Of All Ages
Toronto – Today, Piers Handling, Director & CEO TIFF, Michèle Maheux, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, TIFF and Noah Cowan, Artistic Director, TIFF Bell Lightbox, officially opened TIFF Bell Lightbox to the public. This historic occasion was celebrated with a free public block party featuring family activities, musical guests including K’naan, and free access to the new building and its Essential Cinema exhibition.
“TIFF Bell Lightbox is a remarkable space, a building where audiences can experience the full range of cinema. Wherever your interest lies, from Jean-Luc Godard to Tim Burton; the opportunities to delve into the cinematic experience will be endless,” said Handling. “We are thrilled to celebrate our opening day with the public, and we can’t wait to reveal all that TIFF Bell Lightbox has to offer year-round.”
Handling and Cowan were joined by a number of dignitaries including The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Canada’s Minister of Finance and Minister responsible for the Greater Toronto Area, The Honourable Michael Chan, Ontario’s Minister of Tourism and Culture, Councillor Adam Vaughan, Councillor Kyle Rae, The Reitman family, Wade Oosterman, President Bell Mobility, Jennifer Tory, Regional President, Greater Toronto Region, RBC, TIFF Founders Bill Marshall, Henk van der Kolk, Joan Cohl, wife of the late Dusty Cohl and Canadian filmmakers Chris Chong Chan Fui and Richie Mehta.
TIFF Bell Lightbox is Canada’s newest year-round cultural destination where visitors will experience a diverse selection of screenings, guest appearances, exhibitions and special events, all for the love of film.
About TIFF Bell Lightbox
TIFF Bell Lightbox, a breathtaking five-storey complex located in downtown Toronto, provides a permanent home for film lovers to celebrate cinema from around the world and propels TIFF forward as an international leader in film culture. Designed by innovative architecture firm KPMB, TIFF Bell Lightbox’s fluid structure encourages exploration, movement and play. The campaign to build TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by lead sponsor Bell, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the King and John Festival Corporation – consisting of the Reitman family and The Daniels Corporation – RBC as major sponsor and official bank, major sponsor BlackBerry, Visa†, the Copyright Collective of Canada, the Slaight Family Foundation, The Daniels Corporation, NBC Universal Canada, the
Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation, the Harbinger Foundation, Mackenzie Financial, HSBC, CIBC and BMO. The Board of Directors, staff and many generous individuals and corporations have also contributed to the campaign. For more information on the TIFF Bell Lightbox campaign, visit tiff.net/tiffbelllightbox.ca.
About TIFF
TIFF is a not-for-profit cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. Its vision is to lead the world in creative and cultural discovery through the moving image. TIFF generates an annual economic impact of $170 million CAD and currently employs more than 100 full-time staff and 500 part-time and seasonal staff, and counts upon the largesse of over 2,000 volunteers year-round.
TIFF is generously supported by lead sponsor Bell, Major Sponsors RBC and Blackberry, the Government of Ontario, the Government of Canada and the City of Toronto.
Essential Cinema is generously supported by presenting sponsor RBC Visa Infinite Avion, presenting partner the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund. With Special Thanks to the official media sponsor The Globe and Mail and the Hal Jackman Foundation for supporting Essential Cinema.
Future Projections is supported by the Ontario Arts Council.
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