Demystifying TIFF

Sean Farnel's basement is a far cry from the red carpet glamour of the Toronto International Film Festival, but this is where it all starts, at least for the 35 plus doc-makers with work screening at this year's event. As programmer of the festival's Real to Reel lineup, Farnel ensures the docs chosen to play at TIFF properly represent and celebrate the form. The festival doesn't issue official invites until June, but Farnel works around the calendar, screening everything from amateur home videos to polished features from experienced producers. Although he attends other film fests and actively curates docs that pique his interest, most of the projects Farnel sees are unsolicited (TIFF doesn't charge a submission fee). He has an office at TIFF headquarters, but finds the inevitable and frequent interruptions counterproductive. As a result, most docs compete for the fest's highly coveted screening slots on Farnel's own 27-inch TV.

September 1, 2002

Sean Farnel's basement is a far cry from the red carpet glamour of the Toronto International Film Festival, but this is where it all starts, at least for the 35 plus doc-makers with work screening at this year's event. As programmer of the festival's Real to Reel lineup, Farnel ensures the docs chosen to play at TIFF properly represent and celebrate the form. The festival doesn't issue official invites until June, but Farnel works around the calendar, screening everything from amateur home videos to polished features from experienced producers. Although he attends other film fests and actively curates docs that pique his interest, most of the projects Farnel sees are unsolicited (TIFF doesn't charge a submission fee). He has an office at TIFF headquarters, but finds the inevitable and frequent interruptions counterproductive. As a result, most docs compete for the fest's highly coveted screening slots on Farnel's own 27-inch TV.