Mixing film veterans with young talent is a signature strategy for the Toronto International Film Festival and, again this year, director of industry initiatives Kelley Alexander and her team are running panel discussions, mentoring and pitch sessions to further the growth of the next generation of Canadian filmmakers.

Their major attractions are the returning Talent Lab and Pitch This!, and six News & Views panels involving topics such as licensing film soundtracks and how to market independent films.

At Pitch This!, six groups of young filmmakers are given six minutes each to put forth a feature film project to an audience of TIFF delegates and committee members. The winning group receives $10,000 to further their project.

The finalists are Sheldon Inkol and David Scott, who are pitching All That Is Hidden; Richie Mehta and Steven Bray with Amal; Juliette Hagopian, Charles Konowal and Bowen-Michael Moran with The Farrell Bros. Movie; Christina Sang-St. Catherine, Tonya Lee Williams and Erin Faith Young, who will pitch Making Room For Lily; Bob Barlen and David Knobel with The Prize; and Anthony Leo, Andrew Rosen and K’naan Warsame, who will present The River Of Blood.

Pitch This! takes place at the Sutton Place Hotel from noon to 2 p.m. on Sept. 13.

Talent Lab, which is back for its second year, provides young filmmakers with the opportunity to network and learn from leading lights in the film business. Guests this year include directors Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham), Kim Longinotto (Divorce Iranian Style), Terry Gilliam (Tideland) and Atom Egoyan (Where the Truth Lies).

Cinematographer Christopher Doyle (In the Mood for Love), producer Jeremy Thomas (Naked Lunch), production designer Alex McDowell (Corpse Bride) and screenwriter Tony Grisoni (Brothers of the Head) are also involved this year, along with author Michael Ondaatje and director Brian De Palma.

At the six News & Views panels, Jean-Marc Vallée (C.R.A.Z.Y.), Matt Murphy (The Life and Hard Times of Guy Terrifico) and others will discuss soundtrack deals; agents including Rick Hess (CAA) and Hal Sadoff (ICM) will talk about packaging indie films; while director/distributor Ron Mann, Adam Leipzig of National Geographic and Mark Urman of ThinkFilm go over the marketing and distribution of documentaries.

Producer Debbie Nightingale, CHUM’s Roma Khanna and others will discuss mobile phone content and delivery; Todd Wagner (2929 Entertainment) and Jeff Levy-Hinte (Antidote Films) will talk about the small window between theatrical and DVD releases; while, lastly, reps from California-based Participant Productions will talk about their efforts to create social change through media.