September in Toronto means the return of twin film festivals. The world's heard of the glitzy TIFF above ground. Fewer know of TUFF, which takes place below. But the commuter-oriented Toronto Urban Film Festival, now in its sixth year, has been attracting more attention.
TUFF, which shows silent one-minute films on TTC screens at subway platforms throughout the city, is the largest commuter film festival in the world, and the only one of its kind in North America.
"The reputation of the festival is growing," says Sharon Switzer, TUFF founder and executive director. "People have really come to expect it. And it definitely makes riding the TTC that much more exciting."
Even commuters aware of the festival might not expect the increasingly diverse films being shown in those coveted one-minute slots.
"Definitely the quality of the films we're getting is much better, and the type of films were getting is much different," says Switzer. "People used to give us just ambient 'I'm taking a ride through the subway,' or 'I'm walking down the street' stuff. But people are spending more time and energy now thinking of what to do in that minute."
"The range of films they were bringing is impressive," she says, "some of them are entertaining, some of them are educational, some of them are inspiring, so we're bringing people a lot of different experiences."
For those who want to catch more than a quick glimpse before hopping on their train, the films will also play uninterrupted at Bloor, Dundas and St. Andrew stations, as well as at the screening room of the Drake Hotel.
This year's festival runs to September 17.
Writer: Katia Snukal
Source: Sharon Switzer, Founder and Executive Director, TUFF