The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has set a renewed leadership team in 2024, appointing Jennifer Frees (pictured left) to the newly created role of chief business and marketing officer, and promoting Judy Lung (pictured right) to VP, strategy, communications and stakeholder relations.

In her new role, Frees will oversee a number of aspects of TIFF’s operations, including brand and media, development, loyalty and engagement, and corporate partnerships.

The appointment marks a return to TIFF for Frees, who previously worked at the festival for nearly a decade, moving up to VP, partnerships in 2019. She has also held a senior role at the Toronto Region Board of Trade, working in business development.

As part of Lung’s promotion, she will lead the creation and execution of the festival’s annual business plan and multi-year strategies, as well as working with key stakeholders and TIFF’s board of directors. Both Lung and Frees report to TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey.

Lung joined TIFF last year as VP, public relations and communications, and has worked in the Canadian entertainment sector for more than 20 years, holding roles at Cineplex, Corus Entertainment, and the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, to name a few. She is also a member of the board of directors for the Golden Globes.

“As we kick off a new year and prepare not only for this year’s festival but those in the years ahead, we have updated the TIFF Leadership team to ensure that we are well-positioned in 2024 and beyond to continue delivering on our mission, strategy, and business objectives with the most impact,” said Bailey in a statement.

The appointments come at a significant transitional period for the Toronto festival. The latter half of 2023 saw the departure of COO Beth Janson and VP of partnerships Elisabeth Burks from the leadership team, and the end of TIFF’s 28-year partnership with lead sponsor Bell. The company also laid off a dozen staff members in December following a strategic review of its business model.

Photos by George Pimental