MEDIA RELEASE
March 23, 2022
TORONTO — In-person cinema is back with a bang, and TIFF and Hot Docs have partnered to encourage Canadian youth to re-immerse themselves in the cinematic experience. For the first time ever, each organization will offer under-25s new opportunities to engage with their love of film year-round — TIFF with the Under-25 Free Pass and Hot Docs with a free Bronze Membership for under-25s. Both are available as of today.
“I would have loved to have this kind of free access to great films way back when I was under 25,” said Cameron Bailey, TIFF CEO. “Imagine being able to see some of the best new movies and classics from TIFF and Hot Docs for free. Imagine finding something truly inspiring to do with friends and still have money left in your pocket. I’m thrilled we can offer this to young people today.”
Valid until January 31, 2023, the TIFF Under-25 Free Pass offers amazing benefits for pass holders to catch acclaimed films, encouraging them to take advantage of exclusive year-round benefits and be part of a community of up-and-coming film lovers. With the TIFF Under-25 Free Pass, pass holders can enjoy an early ticketing pre-sale for this year’s TIFF Next Wave Film Festival (April 22–24) on March 30, and continue their involvement with TIFF year-round with a host of benefits, including: free tickets to hundreds of screenings of TIFF Cinematheque classics and undiscovered gems; discounted year-round tickets at TIFF Bell Lightbox; early access to tickets for events and screenings; discounts on in-cinema tickets for subscription series; discounts at Concessions and TIFF Shop; access to the Bell Blue Room Members’ Lounge; invitations to special events; and access to purchase single tickets to the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival on Insiders’ Day. For more information and instructions to sign up, please see tiff.net/under25.
“Hot Docs and TIFF not only have shared festival venues for the last decade, we also share the best film-loving audience in the world,” stated Chris McDonald, Hot Docs Co-President. “Out of collective discussions throughout the pandemic, we realized we could combine forces to encourage more young people to return to the cinema, and this initiative was born. It’s the perfect joint gift to the next generation of movie lovers.”
Timed to the return of its in-person festival in April, Hot Docs will expand its popular year-round membership program to offer free Hot Docs Bronze Memberships to youth aged 25 or under (normally priced at $59/year). With a Bronze Membership, budding doc lovers and curious minds from Toronto and beyond will be able to access a range of exclusive benefits and exciting non-fiction programming across Hot Docs Festival, Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, and on Hot Docs at Home — all at no cost. These perks include dozens of free and discounted tickets; advance ordering opportunities and invitations to multiple member screenings year-round at Hot Docs Cinema; special discounts on tickets, passes, and packages at the annual Hot Docs Festival (April 28 – May 8); and free premium streaming access to its nationwide streaming platform, home to a rotating monthly selection of free documentaries and collections curated especially for members. For more information on the new Hot Docs Under-25 Membership, visit hotdocs.ca/membership.
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Juan M. Gonzalez Calcaneo
Media Relations Manager at Hot Docs
jgonzalezcalcaneo@hotdocs.ca
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About TIFF
TIFF is a not-for-profit cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. An international leader in film culture, TIFF projects include the annual Toronto International Film Festival in September; TIFF Bell Lightbox, which features five cinemas, major exhibitions, and learning and entertainment facilities; and innovative national distribution program Film Circuit. The organization generates an annual economic impact of $189 million CAD. TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including Founding Sponsor Bell, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation and RBC. For more information, visit tiff.net.
About Hot Docs
Hot Docs, North America’s largest documentary festival, conference and market, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing and celebrating the art of documentary and to creating production opportunities for documentary filmmakers. Hot Docs will present its 29th annual edition from April 28 to May 8, 2022 in cinemas across Toronto as well as offering a selection of Festival films online to audiences throughout Canada. A full roster of industry conference sessions, market programs and networking events will be held for Canadian and international delegates, including the renowned Hot Docs Forum, Hot Docs Deal Maker, Distribution Rendezvous and The Doc Shop. Year-round, Hot Docs supports the Canadian and international industry with professional development programs and a multi-million-dollar production fund portfolio, and fosters education through documentaries with its popular free program Docs For Schools. Hot Docs owns and programs the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, a century-old landmark located in Toronto’s Annex neighbourhood and the world’s first and largest documentary cinema, and operates Hot Docs at Home streaming platform. For more information, visit hotdocs.ca
TIFF is generously supported by Lead Sponsor Bell, Major Sponsors RBC, and Visa, and Major Supporters the Government of Canada, Government of Ontario and City of Toronto.
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