The Toronto International Film Festival Unveils TIFF Talent Lab Governors

TORONTO – The Toronto International Film Festival today unveiled four internationally acclaimed members of the film industry who have agreed to serve as governors at the 6th annual TIFF Talent Lab.

Academy Award®-winning director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire), prominent Canadian director and actor Don McKellar (Blindness), acclaimed director and performing artist Miranda July (Me and You and Everyone We Know) and celebrated novelist and screenwriter John Collee (Creation) will all be serving as governors at this year’s Talent Lab, which runs from September 9 to 12. Today’s announcement was made at an event celebrating the launch of RBC’s Emerging Filmmakers Competition, open to all participants in the Talent Lab. The Festival runs from September 10 to 19, 2009.

“Once again, we are thrilled to have a group of immensely talented and diverse governors for this year’s Talent Lab,” said Piers Handling, Director and CEO of TIFF. “The support we receive from the international film industry for Talent Lab ensures that year after year, we can continue to nurture and develop the next generation of filmmakers.”

Talent Lab is a four-day intensive programme that offers artistic development opportunities to 25 emerging filmmakers. During the programme, participants get the opportunity to interact with and learn from internationally acclaimed filmmakers, artists and industry professionals.

The governors donate four days of their time during the Festival to mentoring filmmakers, offering unique viewpoints and inspiring participants and guests alike with their approaches to film. In addition to spending quality time with all participants, the governors also lead discussions with many of the guests. (Governor biographies attached.)

For more information on Talent Lab and other Industry Programmes, please visit tiff.net/thefestival.

TIFF is a not-for-profit cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. Its vision is to lead the world in creative and cultural discovery through the moving image. TIFF generates an annual economic impact of $135 million CAD and currently employs more than 100 full-time staff and 500 part-time and seasonal staff, and counts upon the largesse of over 2,000 volunteers year-round.

TIFF Bell Lightbox: Currently under construction, TIFF Bell Lightbox, a breathtaking five-storey complex located in downtown Toronto, will provide a permanent home for film lovers to celebrate cinema from around the world and will propel TIFF forward as an international leader in film culture. Designed by innovative architecture firm KPMB, TIFF Bell Lightbox’s fluid structure encourages exploration, movement and play. The campaign to build TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by founding sponsor Bell, the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario, the King and John Festival Corporation – consisting of the Reitman family and the Daniels Corporation – RBC as major sponsor and official bank, Visa†, the Copyright Collective of Canada, NBC Universal Canada, the Allan Slaight Family, the Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation and CIBC. The Board of Directors, staff and many generous individuals and corporations have also contributed to the campaign. For more information on the TIFF Bell Lightbox campaign, visit belllightbox.ca.