The films have been announced, the sales force is descending, and the audience is listening. All that’s left now is the queuing.

A look at the numbers shows that the 1996 Toronto International Film Festival isn’t necessarily larger than last year’s – 274 features and 50 shorts compared to 298 and 72 respectively last year – but it’s reaching further. Final count shows 70 countries represented and 112 international features making their world or North American premieres.

Of the Canadian features slated, 12 of the 16 are seeing their first audiences. The Perspective Canada lineup was extended this week to include Srinivas Krishna’s Lulu, the latest feature from the director of Masala, and Anna Benson Gyles’ Swann, based on Carol Shields’ novel, is a world premiere gala.

New additions to the program slate, 11 genres in all, include the return of the documentary program under the umbrella Real to Reel, and Discovery, a showcase for hot, new films from cutting-edge directors including Alberto Lecchi, Mo Ogrodnik, Trish McAdams and Ira Sachs.

The Planet Africa series has been expanded to nearly double the size of last year’s inaugural program, and programmer Cameron Bailey says response to last year’s mix of films was overwhelmingly positive.

‘Our goal is to really try and develop an audience for African film here,’ says Bailey. He is especially proud to have the world premiere of Jean-Pierre Bekola’s Aristotle’s Plot in the lineup.

However fascinating the films, though, chances are there will be many industry types who’ll see nary a flick for the whole nine days, opting rather to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Rogers Industry Centre.

Confirmed participants in the center’s micro-meetings – a project launched last year where industry players host one-hour sessions – include: Geoffrey Gilmore, director of programming for Sundance; Mairi MacDonald, head of purchases and programs for Channel 4; Bobbi Rock of Trimark; the bbc’s head of films Mark Shivas and Francis-Anne Soloman, executive producer; Daniel Weinzweig, chief executive from Mayfair Entertainment International; and Wolfram Tichy, gm of TiMe Medienvertiebs GmbH. Other guests are still being confirmed.

At the Sales Office, Kelley Alexander says 230 buyers and sellers were confirmed as of press time, with many more confirmations expected. ‘People have been slow getting responses back this year,’ says Alexander.

The biggest draws expected for Symposium ’96, Sept. 9-10, are the address from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Canadian Heritage Sheila Copps (ears up, those anticipating ‘The Sheila Fund’) and featured speakers Robert Cooper, president of TriStar Pictures; Paula Wagner of Cruise/Wagner Productions, producers of Mission Impossible; and Michael Kuhn, executive vp of Polygram and president and ceo of Polygram Filmed Entertainment.

Main session topics for the Symposium include the state of Canadian film, coproduction opportunities between Canada, the u.s. and Europe, fostering homegrown talent, television support for Canadian film, new financing means for tv, and an update on the new media hype.

Playback’s session, ‘TV Content: Who’s in Charge of the Quality Bar?’ moderated by Mark Smyka, editor of sister publication KidScreen, will feature Global Television president Kevin Shea, John Haslett Cuff from The Globe & Mail, and the Toronto Star’s Antonia Zerbisias discussing how Canada is faring under u.s. network domination.

As for workshops, Nelvana’s Michael Hirsh will moderate a panel on animation, Productions La Fete’s Kevin Tierney heads a panel on marketing Canadian movies, and attorney Mark Litwak of Berton and Donaldson will discuss negotiating and navigating a distribution deal. The workshops are rounded out with a session on doc markets, a panel on the tax credit and Hot Shots, a panel of directors with debut features at the festival.

After all the wheeling, dealing, viewing and learning have been done, the focus will shift to the other festival must – partying. In addition to the annual Citytv fest schmooze, the Black Film and Video Network will host a soiree in honor of black filmmakers featured at the fest, and Wesley Snipes (Passenger 57, The Fan) will be presented with a special award for increasing the involvement of blacks in the film industry.

The Rogers Industry Centre will swing a huge lounge on the final evening of the Symposium; a big, bright version of Lounge Productions’ Alison Reid’s signature kitsch festivities. In the spirit of Reid’s film on lounge culture, now in process with the u.k.’s Channel 4, expect martinis, cocktail ‘dos, go-go dancers, bubble machines and ’10 of Toronto’s top cross dressers.’ Tickets are at a premium. Schmooze now.

Coinciding with the festival, Showbiz Expo, an international production and post-production trade show and conference, hits Toronto Sept. 7-8, with a focus on exploring new technology.

Seminars include ‘Interactive Storytelling in the 21st Century,’ which looks at the impact of multimedia, interactive programming and online entertainment on writers, producers and directors, and ‘Advancing the Digital Frontier: Tomorrow’s Digital Studio.’ The forum will also feature panel sessions with a number of the industry’s top animators and a comparative demonstration of different film, video and digital video formats.