Last year, the 100 Words Film Festival made its debut in Toronto, Ontario after four years in Charlotte, NC. To those not in tune with the film world, that may seem like a strange transition, but Toronto is one of the biggest cities in the world for film—both the production and appreciation of it. Consequently, the Toronto International Film Festival (or TIFF, for short) is one of the largest film festivals in the world, pulling in nearly half a million attendees annually.
Our guest for this episode is one of the people who helps make it happen: Senior Manager of Festival Programming, Geoff Macnaughton. He’s been working at TIFF for 10 years and has first-hand, insider knowledge of what makes the festival so special. With hundreds of films from nearly every country you could imagine, their goal of representing a diverse audience and discovering new talent is well realized.
Geoff shares about the time he once almost prevented a well-known director from entering a screening (potentially derailing a future Best Picture-winning film!). He’s also got great insight on the medium of short films and how they could help fresh filmmakers earn recognition. Simply put, if you’re a film fan, you should hear what he has to say.