The Toronto International Film Festival is to pick the most likely Canadian actors to break out onto world cinema screens in 2011.

TIFF co-director Cameron Bailey was in Los Angeles Friday to launch the festival’s Rising Stars program to discover made-in-Canada international acting talent.

“Filmmaking in Canada has resisted a star system, yet many Canadian actors have gone on to enormous global success,” Bailey explained.

“TIFF’s Rising Stars aims to find Canada¹s most promising actors and give them the professional tools and contacts they need to break big,” he added.

Four hand-picked actors will be showcased at the festival’s upcoming 36th edition in September, with TIFF vouching for their ability to expand their film careers beyond Canada to the world.

The announcement followed ACTRA, Canada’s acting union, honoring homegrown thesp Bruce Greenwood Thursday night with an award of excellence in Los Angeles.

At the same time, TIFF wants to mentor and launch Canadian actors equally at home on screens in Bollywood, the UK and Hong Kong, as in Hollywood.

The festival initiative will include intensive professional development for the four Canadian actors with casting directors, agents, managers, publicists and filmmakers.