TIFF Content Market Starts to Take Shape, Unveils Committee Including CAA’s Roeg Sutherland

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The outline for the 2026 content market, an integral part of the Toronto Film Festival, is gradually coming together.

Anita Lee, the festival’s main programming officer, has disclosed that Roeg Sutherland (co-head of media finance at CAA), Vincent Maraval (CEO of Goodfellas), and Tom Yoda (president of Japan’s Gaga Corporation) are part of the initial group chosen for the advisory committee of TIFF’s Content Market’s newly formed international advisory panel.

The initial team of consultants for the TIFF market includes Niv Fichman, founder of Rhombus Media based in Toronto; Jérôme Paillard, former head of the Cannes market; Noah Segal, co-president and co-founder of Elevation Pictures from Canada; Monique Simard, previous president of Quebec’s SODEC (Society for the Development of Cultural Enterprises); and Kerry Swanson, CEO of Canada’s Indigenous Screen Office. More members will be unveiled in the upcoming weeks.

The previous year, in May, it was announced by TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey and Anita Lee that they were planning to establish a genuine TIFF market. This market would serve as a main point for purchasing and selling screen-based projects, intellectual property, and cutting-edge content suitable for all platforms, following a CAD $23 million ($16.9 million) investment from the Canadian federal government.

An official market would enable numerous businesses, promotional bodies from various countries, and emerging manufacturers to participate more significantly in the Toronto International Film Festival,” Lee explained to EbMaster.

She emphasized another important point – this isn’t just a movie market, but rather a platform for all types of content. Alongside films, it will feature television shows and cutting-edge technology as well.

Lee mentioned that numerous global corporations can only make it to TIFF if their movies are part of the festival’s official lineup.

She emphasized that if TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) has an official market, it would allow them to attend annually and conduct business with their entire lineup of films, which could range from those they’re packaging for release, to those they’re selling, rather than just the films in the official selection.

Moreover, businesses hailing from developing areas, such as Asia, Latin America, and beyond, will benefit by TIFF establishing an official market because it allows them to receive increased assistance from their local governments in attending the event and bringing a bigger group of representatives. (Lee)

Regarding the proposed infrastructure for Toronto’s market, it was suggested that we envision a central location where exhibitions could thrive alongside areas designed to foster interactions, meetings, and networking. It should be noted that the specific venue for the TIFF Content Market is still undecided.

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2025-02-14 17:17