Justin Cutler is the senior manager of the Toronto International Film Festival’s sales and industry office. He’s got the scoop on what’s new and generating buzz this week at the TIFF Kids International Film Festival.

How has this year’s festival changed?

Over the past two years we’ve seen a fairly large appetite for industry programming. So the big story this year is the expansion of our industry programming to 10 events and 35 speakers. In comparison, last year we had two events with 10 speakers.

We now have delegates attending from North America, Europe and Australia. It’s really growing. All of our delegates have access to the digiplayspace, which is our new digital playground in Bell Lightbox. It has a series of transmedia, new media, and every type of media exhibit for children. It’s a real living space.

All of our delegates also have access to an industry lounge throughout this week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Bell Blue Room.

What’s buzz-worthy?

The Master Class with Peter Lord is obtaining a lot of buzz from the industry. That’s moderated by Chris Walsh, the animator, filmmaker and instructor at Sheridan College. We’re really excited for the industry to hear about more about Aardman Animations’ history and Peter Lord’s work.

We’re also hearing a lot of buzz around our panel called You Know for Kids: How to finance, produce and sell children’s films in the global market place. That’s moderated by Peter Howell, and has a series of great speakers including [Bernard] “Burny” Bos, the prolific producer and founder of Bos Brothers in Holland, Rock Demurs, producer and President at La Fête and John Galway [president of the English Language Program for Astral’s Harold Greenberg Fund].

What’s on this week that’s of interest to the industry?

Also included this week, we have a number of roundtable sessions that are aimed at really bringing emerging artists together with experienced industry veterans. We’re focusing on writers, animators and buyers. So each day during each lunch hour, we’re going to introduce the speakers and have a small, roundtable speed-dating situation, where the delegates can meet with each speaker on a very personal basis.

What are your expectations for this year’s festival?

What we’re really interested in with TIFF Kids is developing a community of filmmakers and producers, to help them learn and create theatrical film out of the seminars and panels. We’re trying to build these connections that are necessary for the proliferation of children’s film in Canada.