Netflix has signed on to support the Toronto International Film Festival’s industry programs, deepening its relationship with the organization.
The three-year investment will see the U.S. streamer support TIFF’s newly-launched Talent Accelerator and industry initiatives like the TIFF Filmmaker Lab. Part of the giant’s investment in the organization will also go towards the development of three new events “targeted towards the professional development of Canadian film industry creators.”
A spokesperson for TIFF told Playback Daily that this support is expected to come into effect as early as the new year. The amount of money committed has not been disclosed.
Unveiled this September, the Talent Accelerator supports six female creators via a customized, year-long development experience. Supported by TIFF’s Share Her Journey campaign, the inaugural cohort consists of directors Sofia Bohdanowicz (Never Eat Alone) and Karen Chapman (Walk Good); writers Lisa Jackson (Intemperance) and Jasmin Mozaffari (Firecrackers); and producers Melissa Coghlan (Back in Time for Dinner) and Shasha Nakhai (Take Light).
Meanwhile, the TIFF Filmmaker Lab, which recently completed its 16th year this September, pairs 10 Canadian and 10 international directors together over the course of the festival to learn from various professionals.
This news follows Netflix’s recent announcement that it has spent more than $500 million in Canada over the past two years and has inked a total of 17 partnerships through its $25-million market development fund. The streamer has agreements in place with organizations like imagineNATIVE, The Banff World Media Festival, the Indigenous Screen Office, Montreal International Documentary Festival, the Canadian Film Centre, Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, and others.