‘No Dusty, no festival, no Canadian film industry. That is how I look at it, because nobody could have brought the international media to this event the way he did, and that is what made it work. There was no burning desire for the event with the Canadian media, such as it was in those days, and there were not many people who believed that there was any room for a film festival in Toronto. But Dusty said ‘Oh yes there is. You come here and we will make sure you have the time of your life,’ which they did.’
Bill Marshall,
Cofounder of TIFF

‘[His hat] was such a distinctive symbol of the festival, especially in the early days. In Cannes, with all its formality, black tie, and red carpet, [Toronto festival organizers] wanted to distinguish themselves as different, and set a different mood and tone. I think Dusty’s hat broke the ice that way, and sent a lot of signals to the corporate sponsors, government, and audiences, that this was a very different kind of event – more youthful, more relaxed. That was important.’
Piers Handling,
Director and CEO of the TIFF Group

‘I first met Dusty Cohl when I became the director of [the Toronto festival]. I went to the Cannes film festival for the first time and there was this Canadian with a black cowboy hat sitting on the terrace of the Carlton Hotel, playing host to 20 people. And what was startling to me was, here in the midst of this exotic location – the Cote d’Azur, the Mediterranean, the glamour – was this Canadian, this gentleman with this black cowboy hat on, who had grabbed the imagination and interest of all these people in Cannes.
Dusty was gregarious, generous, eclectic in his interests – he sat there like a maestro at the three-ring circus that Cannes is. He had this joie de vivre. He loved the movies, he loved the people in the movies, and that was addictive.’
Wayne Clarkson,
Executive director, Telefilm Canada

‘In the early days of the Canadian film industry, Dusty cast a benign shadow of comfort on a community usually riddled with anxiety and uncertainty.’
Robert Lantos,
Producer

‘Dusty was like Yente from Fiddler on the Roof. He was a matchmaker who brought people together. When I was trying to put together the [Canadian] Film Centre in ’79, he was a great help, and without him it probably wouldn’t have happened.
We lost a big spark…it is like losing the spark of your engine. He was so supportive of Canadian talent and creative people, directors, actors and producers. He was there for us when we needed it. I am going to miss him terribly.’
Norman Jewison,
Filmmaker, CFC founder