Atom Egoyan remembers when he first submitted his short films to TIFF, then known as the Festival of Festivals. He was rejected.

But it just so happened that his first feature, Next of Kin (1984) was accepted the same year that the festival introduced Perspectives Canada, a commitment to bring Canuck films and their makers to a broader, global audience. And that meant everything for the renowned filmmaker.

“It was an amazing, exciting year and there was incredible attention for Canadian film,” recalls Egoyan. “TIFF has been very important to me. It was the first international event I was invited to and my career launched from that event.”

As a member of the advisory board, he hopes to see TIFF Bell Lightbox used as an educational facility in addition to its programming.

“People have to understanding the nature of cinema – it’s first and foremost a collective experience where people watch things together. This building is a shrine for that.”

Egoyan is pleased to see the buzz surrounding the festival still thriving in the following months, strong indications that industry folks and public are turning to the Lightbox to sate their appetites for film year-round.

“Having now traveled to many festivals around the world and seen many comparable organizations, this is unique – to have a museum, a film library, the offices and these five impeccable cinemas,” he states. “It’s the result of a long-term vision of a lot of people and I was proud to be a part of it in my own small way.”