Lights, camera, brands: TIFF fans feel squeezed out as red carpets go corporate

'It's a lot of obstacles and variables nowadays compared to where it used to be,' said Leung.

When Sandi Leung visited a Toronto International Film Festival red carpet for the first time in 2015, she realized she could walk up to almost any part of the red carpet and — if she spent a few hours waiting — finagle a selfie with the likes of Eddie Redmayne or Kevin Bacon.

Lately, that feat has become increasingly difficult. Each year, Leung notices more of the once-open space surrounding the annual film festival’s red carpets is taken up by fan zones and corporate watch areas that are competitive to access or require you to be a customer of sponsor brands.

“It’s a lot of obstacles and variables nowadays compared to where it used to be,” said Leung, who commutes daily during the festival to the red carpets from Markham, Ont., in hopes of snagging snaps with the stars.

Leung’s observations come as TIFF, long considered the people’s festival because screenings are open to the public, is preparing to host its 50th edition next week. This year’s festival will see the world premieres of buzzy films like Guillermo del Toro’s rendition of “Frankenstein” and the third instalment of the “Knives Out” series, and welcome stars as prolific as Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson.

But as regulars know, getting the chance to meet them will take more perseverance and patience. That’s because the free-for-all nature that used to exist around the carpet perimeters has been diluted by TIFF’s constantly changing policies and its need to appease sponsors.

“Every year it changes, and every year it’s a cluster,” said Serena Tung, a Toronto woman who has met stars from Daniel Craig to Jennifer Lopez at TIFF red carpets over the last 20 years.

Asked about the erosion of free carpet spaces fans have observed, TIFF said it is “committed to creating unique, memorable opportunities for audiences to engage with filmmakers, stars, and fellow film lovers.”

“Each year, we work to enhance the experience, particularly at our flagship red carpet at Roy Thomson Hall,” vice-president of strategy, communications and stakeholder relations Judy Lung said in an email.