The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is continuing to plan for its upcoming 48th edition amid the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike, the festival’s leadership said in a letter to industry members.

The letter — issued Wednesday (July 19) and signed by CEO Cameron Bailey, chief programming officer Anita Lee, and senior director, industry and theatrical, Geoff Macnaughton — acknowledged the impact of the strike on the festival but highlighted that a majority of its titles this year are from non-U.S. producers. The festival runs from Sept. 7 to 17.

“As a reminder, TIFF is an international film festival; and this year, over 70% of our titles are non-U.S. producers, from over 70 countries from around the world,” read the letter.

“TIFF is also a thriving sales market. This year over a third of our films in selection are sales titles. We will also have a robust offering of market screenings, and for the first time, will be opening the doors of TIFF Bell Lightbox early on Sept. 6 to host market screenings for international buyers,” it continued.

Under SAG-AFTRA strike rules, which went into effect on July 14, members are barred from promotion and publicity services, including personal appearances, premieres, interviews, and festivals such as TIFF. Among other things, the U.S. performers union is calling for higher residuals and regulation of AI in film and television.

TIFF issued an official statement on the strike on July 13, saying that it “will continue planning for this year’s festival with the hope of a swift resolution in the coming weeks.”

Festival leadership also said in the letter that its industry conference is going ahead as planned from Sept. 8 to 12, and not impacted by the strike “as the speakers include creators, producers, and key decision-makers from around the world.”

Photo courtesy TIFF