Star-studded glitz will take a back seat to homegrown talent at this year's TIFF

The Toronto International Film Festival might look quite different this year. 

Set to begin Thursday, TIFF is typically a star-studded affair full of Hollywood A-listers. The festival brings more than 700,000 visitors to Toronto and accounts for more than $114 million in economic activity in the region, according to a 2022 report from FedDev Ontario.

"In many ways for North America, TIFF is the most important festival," said filmmaker and writer Brian D. Johnson, whose film The Colour of Ink premiered at TIFF last year. It's a significant gateway for international films to reach audiences in North America, he says.

But with the ongoing Hollywood actors' and writers' strikes, this year's event will have fewer stars in attendance. And that could have a significant impact on businesses in the city that rely on the festival and its stars to generate buzz and, of course, profits. 

During the strikes, members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) are restricted from promoting any film that's from a member of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). That includes major film studios (Disney, Paramount, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros.), television networks (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC) and streaming services like Netflix, Apple TV+ and Amazon.

However, directors and producers are unaffected by the strike — and some are allowed to walk red carpets. This year, several actor-turned-directors have films at TIFF, including Viggo Mortensen, Michael Keaton, Chris Pine and Anna Kendrick.

Further complicating things, SAG-AFTRA has launched an interim agreement program for certain independent movies being distributed by non-AMPTP members, which means they can promote films despite the strikes. But as TIFF begins, it's still unclear which films have been granted waivers. That lack of certainty means a lack of stars, something that TIFF and Toronto businesses are having to deal with.

"With the actors' strike in particular, Toronto's going to see a dip in revenue because there's all kinds of infrastructure and support services from hairdressers and limo drivers to restaurants," said Johnson, who wrote the book Brave Films, Wild Nights: 25 Years of Festival Fever, which highlights the history of TIFF.  

Businesses in the city are already feeling that dip. 

Charles Khabouth is the CEO of INK Entertainment Group. He owns and operates more than 20 venues in Toronto and says TIFF is one of their most important events. 

"It's the most exciting time of year. It's a very crucial moment for us," said Khabouth, who just celebrated 40 years in business. 

But with the ongoing strikes, Khabouth says he's already had to make adjustments.

"Usually at this time, we're beyond busy setting up because of the amount of events. Last year, I think we did north of 40 events in 10 days."

INK has already had to cancel multiple events for this year's festival, according to Khabouth.