{"ab":false,"abStatus":null,"abTestId":null,"abVariation":false,"abVariationAutomated":false,"absoluteUrl":"https://www.frontrowinsurance.com/articles/top-10-film-festivals-in-toronto","afterPostBody":null,"aifeatures":null,"allowedSlugConflict":false,"analytics":null,"analyticsPageId":"39038394839","analyticsPageType":"blog-post","approvalStatus":null,"archived":false,"archivedAt":0,"archivedInDashboard":false,"areCommentsAllowed":true,"attachedStylesheets":[],"audienceAccess":"PUBLIC","author":null,"authorName":null,"authorUsername":null,"blogAuthor":{"avatar":"","bio":"Grant Patten - VP, Marketing","cdnPurgeEmbargoTime":null,"cosObjectType":"BLOG_AUTHOR","created":1557244191140,"deletedAt":0,"displayName":"Grant Patten","email":"grant@frontrowinsurance.com","facebook":"","fullName":"Grant Patten","gravatarUrl":"https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/9751f803d54c2340cccdf5025adc9aa4","hasSocialProfiles":false,"id":9474946913,"label":"Grant Patten","language":null,"linkedin":"","name":"Grant Patten","portalId":61352,"slug":"grant-patten","translatedFromId":null,"translations":{},"twitter":"","twitterUsername":"","updated":1557244191140,"userId":null,"username":null,"website":""},"blogAuthorId":9474946913,"blogPostAuthor":{"avatar":"","bio":"Grant Patten - VP, Marketing","cdnPurgeEmbargoTime":null,"cosObjectType":"BLOG_AUTHOR","created":1557244191140,"deletedAt":0,"displayName":"Grant Patten","email":"grant@frontrowinsurance.com","facebook":"","fullName":"Grant Patten","gravatarUrl":"https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/9751f803d54c2340cccdf5025adc9aa4","hasSocialProfiles":false,"id":9474946913,"label":"Grant Patten","language":null,"linkedin":"","name":"Grant Patten","portalId":61352,"slug":"grant-patten","translatedFromId":null,"translations":{},"twitter":"","twitterUsername":"","updated":1557244191140,"userId":null,"username":null,"website":""},"blogPostScheduleTaskUid":null,"blogPublishInstantEmailCampaignId":null,"blogPublishInstantEmailRetryCount":null,"blogPublishInstantEmailTaskUid":"DONE","blogPublishToSocialMediaTask":"DONE","blueprintTypeId":0,"businessUnitId":null,"campaign":null,"campaignName":null,"campaignUtm":null,"category":3,"categoryId":3,"cdnPurgeEmbargoTime":null,"checkPostLevelAudienceAccessFirst":true,"clonedFrom":null,"composeBody":null,"compositionId":0,"contentAccessRuleIds":[],"contentAccessRuleTypes":[],"contentGroup":952267656,"contentGroupId":952267656,"contentTypeCategory":3,"contentTypeCategoryId":3,"contentTypeId":null,"created":1608575211669,"createdById":7915797,"createdTime":1608575211669,"crmObjectId":null,"css":{},"cssText":"","ctaClicks":null,"ctaViews":null,"currentState":"PUBLISHED","currentlyPublished":true,"deletedAt":0,"deletedBy":null,"deletedByEmail":null,"deletedById":null,"domain":"","dynamicPageDataSourceId":null,"dynamicPageDataSourceType":null,"dynamicPageHubDbTableId":null,"enableDomainStylesheets":null,"enableGoogleAmpOutputOverride":false,"enableLayoutStylesheets":null,"errors":[],"featuredImage":"https://61352.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/Top%2010%20Film%20Festivals%20in%20Toronto/ontario-oniff-shutterstock_507578743-forweb600.jpg","featuredImageAltText":"Ontario film festivals: Best Film Festivals in the GTA","featuredImageHeight":401,"featuredImageLength":0,"featuredImageWidth":600,"flexAreas":{},"folderId":null,"footerHtml":null,"freezeDate":1608577321000,"generateJsonLdEnabledOverride":true,"hasContentAccessRules":false,"hasUserChanges":true,"headHtml":null,"header":null,"htmlTitle":"The Top 10 Film Festivals in Toronto | Best Film Festivals in the GTA","id":39038394839,"includeDefaultCustomCss":null,"isCaptchaRequired":true,"isCrawlableByBots":false,"isDraft":false,"isInstanceLayoutPage":false,"isInstantEmailEnabled":true,"isPublished":true,"isSocialPublishingEnabled":false,"keywords":[],"label":"<span id=\"hs_cos_wrapper_name\" class=\"hs_cos_wrapper hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field hs_cos_wrapper_type_text\" style=\"\" data-hs-cos-general-type=\"meta_field\" data-hs-cos-type=\"text\" >The Top 10 Film Festivals in Toronto | Best Film Festivals in the GTA</span>","language":"en","lastEditSessionId":null,"lastEditUpdateId":null,"layoutSections":{},"legacyBlogTabid":null,"legacyId":null,"legacyPostGuid":null,"linkRelCanonicalUrl":null,"listTemplate":"prox_frontrow/templates/blog/blog-listing.html","liveDomain":"www.frontrowinsurance.com","mab":false,"mabExperimentId":null,"mabMaster":false,"mabVariant":false,"meta":{"use_featured_image":true,"post_summary":"<p>Let’s provide a high-level overview of some of the best film festivals in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Of course, there are other good film festivals in the area and this list isn’t comprehensive; however, the below festivals are certainly among the most notable in the GTA.</p>\n","post_body":"\n\n\n\n <span id=\"hs_cos_wrapper_post_body\" class=\"hs_cos_wrapper hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field hs_cos_wrapper_type_rich_text\" style=\"\" data-hs-cos-general-type=\"meta_field\" data-hs-cos-type=\"rich_text\" ><p>Let’s provide a high-level overview of some of the best film festivals in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Of course, there are other good film festivals in the area and this list isn’t comprehensive; however, the below festivals are certainly among the most notable in the GTA.</p>\n<!--more-->\n<p>We’ll discuss (<em>in no particular order</em>):</p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#tiff\" rel=\"noopener\">TIFF</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#hotdocs\" rel=\"noopener\">Hot Docs</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#taafi\" rel=\"noopener\">TAAFI</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#buffer\" rel=\"noopener\">Buffer Festival</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#imagine\" rel=\"noopener\">imagineNATIVE</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#oniff\" rel=\"noopener\">ONIFF</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#reel\" rel=\"noopener\">Reelworld</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#inside\" rel=\"noopener\">Inside Out</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#bff\" rel=\"noopener\">Breakthroughs</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#regent\" rel=\"noopener\">Regent Park</a></li>\n</ol>\n<a id=\"tiff\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2><br>Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://tiff.net/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https://tiff.net/</a></p>\n<p>The most prominent and well-known film festival in Toronto is, of course, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Founded in 1976, many of its movies are screened at the TIFF Bell Lightbox (pictured), a modern venue housing five cinemas of various sizes.</p>\n<p>TIFF is one of the largest and most prestigious film festivals in the world, “second only to Cannes in terms of high-profile pics, stars, and market activity,” according to Variety. In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, TIFF creatively reimagined its festival to include physical screenings at drive-ins, digital screenings and virtual red carpets.</p>\n<p>Front Row has been a proud sponsor of TIFF.</p>\n<a id=\"hotdocs\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Hot Docs Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://www.hotdocs.ca/\">https://www.hotdocs.ca/</a>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>The Hot Docs Festival is the largest documentary festival in North America. Founded in 1993 by the Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC), Hot Docs is now recognized as a qualifying festival for the Academy Awards® in the Documentary Feature and Documentary Short Subject categories.</p>\n<p>Members of DOC are eligible for <a href=\"/documentary-organization-of-canada-insurance-program\" rel=\"noopener\">preferred rates on production insurance</a> through Front Row. The 2020 festival was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada; however, the festival organizers quickly pivoted to the <a href=\"https://hotdocs.ca/p/hd-home\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-style: italic;\">Hot Docs at Home</span></a> TV show in partnership with the CBC.</p>\n<p>Front Row is a proud sponsor of the Hot Docs Festival.</p>\n<a id=\"taafi\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>TAAFI – Toronto's Animation Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://taafi.com/\">https://taafi.com/</a></p>\n<p>The Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI) is held at the same venue as Hot Docs each year – the Ted Rogers Cinema. TAAFI is a film festival dedicated to presenting cartoons and animation.</p>\n<p>TAAFI confers the Kaj Pindal award, which is awarded to an animator who has made a significant contribution to the art form in the past year. TAAFI also offers an industry conference with talks from directors, creators, producers and artists.</p>\n<p>Front Row has sponsored TAAFI in the past.</p>\n<a id=\"buffer\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Buffer Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://365.bufferfestival.com/\">https://365.bufferfestival.com/ </a></p>\n<p>Buffer Festival is an annual showcase of YouTube video premieres, bringing the most acclaimed digital creators and their audiences together. The festival is, according to the Buffer Foundation, “the world’s largest international digital-first film festival.”</p>\n<p>The Buffer Foundation is a not-for-profit supporting Canadian and international digital-first filmmakers through education, celebration, recognition and development opportunities with the entertainment industry. Buffer Festival 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>\n<a id=\"imagine\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://imaginenative.org/\">https://imaginenative.org/ </a></p>\n<p>Founded in 1998, the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is the world's largest Indigenous film and media arts festival, held annually in Toronto each October. The festival focuses on the film, video, radio and new media work of Indigenous, Aboriginal and First Peoples from around the world.</p>\n<p>Many awards are presented at the festival, including the Audience Choice Award, Best Dramatic Feature, Best Short Drama and Best Indigenous Language Production.</p>\n<p>Their 21st annual festival in 2020 transitioned to an online format.</p>\n<a id=\"oniff\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Ontario International Film Festival <br><img src=\"https://f.hubspotusercontent00.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/Top%2010%20Film%20Festivals%20in%20Toronto/ontario-oniff-shutterstock_507578743-forweb600.jpg\" alt=\"Ontario International Film Festival\" style=\"width: 600px; display: block; margin: 0px auto;\" width=\"600\"></h2>\n<p><strong>Source</strong>: Royalty-free stock photo ID: 507578743, Shutterstock</p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://www.oniff.ca/\">https://www.oniff.ca/ </a></p>\n<p>The Ontario International Film Festival (ONIFF) was founded in 2020 by not-for-profit Canada Multicultural Entertainment (CME). This film festival “gives independent filmmakers from different cultures and backgrounds the opportunity to get known, learn and get acquainted with the industry.”</p>\n<p>The festival confers a variety of awards, including Best International Feature Film, Best Canadian Feature Film, Best Screenwriting and Best Canadian Student Film.</p>\n<a id=\"reel\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Reelworld Film Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://www.reelworld.ca/\">https://www.reelworld.ca/</a></p>\n<p>The Reelworld Film Festival was founded in 2001 and provides professional development for Canadian racially diverse and Indigenous filmmakers and media artists. The festival's mandate is to showcase diverse work, especially work from Canadians identifying as Black, Indigenous, Asian, South Asian, Middle Eastern and/or Latinx.</p>\n<p>In 2020, Reelworld streamed online with a 100% CAD lineup. The festival has a variety of awards, including the Trailblazer Award, Visionary Award and Award of Excellence.</p>\n<a id=\"inside\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Inside Out Film and Video Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://insideout.ca/\">https://insideout.ca/</a></p>\n<p>Founded in 1991, the Inside Out Film and Video Festival is an annual film festival that presents a program of LGBTQ-related cinema. The festival is staged in both Toronto and Ottawa.</p>\n<p>The festival’s awards include the Audience Award for Best Feature Film, the Audience Award for Best Short Film, Best Documentary and Best Canadian Film. In response to the pandemic, Inside Out created an online exhibition of queer ephemera pulled from their archives.</p>\n<a id=\"bff\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Breakthroughs Film Festival (BFF)</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"http://www.breakthroughsfilmfestival.com/\">http://www.breakthroughsfilmfestival.com/ </a></p>\n<p>Founded in 2011, the Breakthroughs Film Festival (BFF) is dedicated exclusively to short films made by emerging women and non-binary directors.</p>\n<p>BFF takes place annually in downtown Toronto, showcasing Canadian and international short films in all genres from emerging directors of all ages. BFF 2020 was held online.</p>\n<p>The festival confers a number of awards, including the Audience Choice Award, the Breakthroughs Film Festival's Jury Award and Best Canadian Film.</p>\n<a id=\"regent\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Regent Park Film Festival (RPFF)</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"http://regentparkfilmfestival.com/\">http://regentparkfilmfestival.com/ </a></p>\n<p>The Regent Park Film Festival (RPFF) is a <strong>free</strong> community film festival dedicated to showcasing local and international independent films that are relevant to the Regent Park neighbourhood.</p>\n<p>This festival aims to provide the residents of Regent Park, and beyond, with a forum for dialogue about social issues such as immigration, cultural identity and multicultural relationships.</p>\n<p>RPFF was founded in 2003. The 18th annual RPFF in 2020 was held online. The festival also created the <a href=\"http://regentparkfilmfestival.com/year-round/home-made-visible/\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Home Made Visible</em></a> nationwide archival project that “celebrates the everyday joys and lives of Indigenous, Black and People of Colour (IBPoC) communities often absent from Canada’s narrative.”</p>\n<h2>Film Insurance | Short-Term Film Production Insurance | Film Equipment Insurance | Film and Video Equipment Insurance</h2>\n<p>If you’re researching film festivals in Toronto, chances are that you’re a filmmaker yourself or somehow involved in the film industry.</p>\n<p>Front Row provides production and <a href=\"/sectors/e-o-insurance\" rel=\"noopener\">producer’s E&amp;O insurance</a> for: features, episodic television, docs, shorts and more. The next time you’re working on a film production, consider Front Row’s insurance policies:</p>\n<p><a href=\"https://shortshoot.frontrowinsurance.com/\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Front Row’s Short Shoot insurance policy</strong></a> (Canada) is a good option for insuring your short-term film projects. Coverage for up to 15 consecutive days of filming. The coverage is available online, 24/7. Covers rented gear, rented locations, rented props, sets, wardrobes, and more. You can get a quote in two minutes and purchase a policy 100% online. If you are in the US, please complete <a href=\"/short-term-production-insurance-for-filmmakers-us\" rel=\"noopener\">this form</a>.</p>\n<p><a href=\"https://digigearinsure.frontrowinsurance.com/\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Front Row’s DigiGear insurance policy</strong></a> (Canada) is a good option for insuring your filmmaking gear, including your film camera(s). Also available online. Quotes in 2 minutes; policies available in 5 minutes. Shop from your phone. If you are in the US, please complete <a href=\"/film-production-equipment-insurance\" rel=\"noopener\">this form</a>.</p>\n<p>In addition, film festivals should consider insuring their film screening events; <a href=\"/articles/movie-theatre-insurance-protection-for-owners\" rel=\"noopener\">movie theatre insurance</a> can be purchased online in Canada.<br><br><span style=\"font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\"><br>About</span>: Front Row Insurance Brokers Inc. is an independent insurance broker that specializes in the entertainment industry – specifically, the film industry. Front Row works hard to provide insurance protection for the lowest possible cost. Should a claim occur, Front Row works diligently with clients and insurers to expedite the payment of claims. Offices in: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Halifax, NY, Nashville and LA.</span></p>\n<h3>Related posts:</h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/best-locations-for-filming-in-the-gta\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILMING LOCATIONS IN THE GTA</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/best-film-festivals-in-new-york-city\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILM FESTIVALS IN NYC</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/best-film-festivals-in-greater-los-angeles\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILM FESTIVALS IN LA / LOS ANGELES</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/top-10-film-festivals-in-metro-vancouver\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILM FESTIVALS IN VANCOUVER</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/top-10-film-festivals-in-quebec\" rel=\"noopener\">THE TOP 10 FILM FESTIVALS IN QUEBEC</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/best-film-festivals-in-atlantic-canada\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILM FESTS IN ATLANTIC CANADA</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"https://stories.frontrowinsurance.com/the-top-10-film-festivals-in-toronto/\" rel=\"noopener\">Google web story: The best film festivals in the GTA</a></li>\n</ul></span>\n","rss_summary":"<p>Let’s provide a high-level overview of some of the best film festivals in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Of course, there are other good film festivals in the area and this list isn’t comprehensive; however, the below festivals are certainly among the most notable in the GTA.</p>\n","rss_body":"<p>Let’s provide a high-level overview of some of the best film festivals in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Of course, there are other good film festivals in the area and this list isn’t comprehensive; however, the below festivals are certainly among the most notable in the GTA.</p>\n<!--more-->\n<p>We’ll discuss (<em>in no particular order</em>):</p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#tiff\" rel=\"noopener\">TIFF</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#hotdocs\" rel=\"noopener\">Hot Docs</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#taafi\" rel=\"noopener\">TAAFI</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#buffer\" rel=\"noopener\">Buffer Festival</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#imagine\" rel=\"noopener\">imagineNATIVE</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#oniff\" rel=\"noopener\">ONIFF</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#reel\" rel=\"noopener\">Reelworld</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#inside\" rel=\"noopener\">Inside Out</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#bff\" rel=\"noopener\">Breakthroughs</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#regent\" rel=\"noopener\">Regent Park</a></li>\n</ol>\n<a id=\"tiff\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2><br>Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://tiff.net/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https://tiff.net/</a></p>\n<p>The most prominent and well-known film festival in Toronto is, of course, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Founded in 1976, many of its movies are screened at the TIFF Bell Lightbox (pictured), a modern venue housing five cinemas of various sizes.</p>\n<p>TIFF is one of the largest and most prestigious film festivals in the world, “second only to Cannes in terms of high-profile pics, stars, and market activity,” according to Variety. In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, TIFF creatively reimagined its festival to include physical screenings at drive-ins, digital screenings and virtual red carpets.</p>\n<p>Front Row has been a proud sponsor of TIFF.</p>\n<a id=\"hotdocs\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Hot Docs Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://www.hotdocs.ca/\">https://www.hotdocs.ca/</a>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>The Hot Docs Festival is the largest documentary festival in North America. Founded in 1993 by the Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC), Hot Docs is now recognized as a qualifying festival for the Academy Awards® in the Documentary Feature and Documentary Short Subject categories.</p>\n<p>Members of DOC are eligible for <a href=\"/documentary-organization-of-canada-insurance-program\" rel=\"noopener\">preferred rates on production insurance</a> through Front Row. The 2020 festival was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada; however, the festival organizers quickly pivoted to the <a href=\"https://hotdocs.ca/p/hd-home\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-style: italic;\">Hot Docs at Home</span></a> TV show in partnership with the CBC.</p>\n<p>Front Row is a proud sponsor of the Hot Docs Festival.</p>\n<a id=\"taafi\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>TAAFI – Toronto's Animation Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://taafi.com/\">https://taafi.com/</a></p>\n<p>The Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI) is held at the same venue as Hot Docs each year – the Ted Rogers Cinema. TAAFI is a film festival dedicated to presenting cartoons and animation.</p>\n<p>TAAFI confers the Kaj Pindal award, which is awarded to an animator who has made a significant contribution to the art form in the past year. TAAFI also offers an industry conference with talks from directors, creators, producers and artists.</p>\n<p>Front Row has sponsored TAAFI in the past.</p>\n<a id=\"buffer\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Buffer Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://365.bufferfestival.com/\">https://365.bufferfestival.com/ </a></p>\n<p>Buffer Festival is an annual showcase of YouTube video premieres, bringing the most acclaimed digital creators and their audiences together. The festival is, according to the Buffer Foundation, “the world’s largest international digital-first film festival.”</p>\n<p>The Buffer Foundation is a not-for-profit supporting Canadian and international digital-first filmmakers through education, celebration, recognition and development opportunities with the entertainment industry. Buffer Festival 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>\n<a id=\"imagine\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://imaginenative.org/\">https://imaginenative.org/ </a></p>\n<p>Founded in 1998, the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is the world's largest Indigenous film and media arts festival, held annually in Toronto each October. The festival focuses on the film, video, radio and new media work of Indigenous, Aboriginal and First Peoples from around the world.</p>\n<p>Many awards are presented at the festival, including the Audience Choice Award, Best Dramatic Feature, Best Short Drama and Best Indigenous Language Production.</p>\n<p>Their 21st annual festival in 2020 transitioned to an online format.</p>\n<a id=\"oniff\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Ontario International Film Festival <br><img src=\"https://f.hubspotusercontent00.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/Top%2010%20Film%20Festivals%20in%20Toronto/ontario-oniff-shutterstock_507578743-forweb600.jpg\" alt=\"Ontario International Film Festival\" style=\"width: 600px; display: block; margin: 0px auto;\" width=\"600\"></h2>\n<p><strong>Source</strong>: Royalty-free stock photo ID: 507578743, Shutterstock</p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://www.oniff.ca/\">https://www.oniff.ca/ </a></p>\n<p>The Ontario International Film Festival (ONIFF) was founded in 2020 by not-for-profit Canada Multicultural Entertainment (CME). This film festival “gives independent filmmakers from different cultures and backgrounds the opportunity to get known, learn and get acquainted with the industry.”</p>\n<p>The festival confers a variety of awards, including Best International Feature Film, Best Canadian Feature Film, Best Screenwriting and Best Canadian Student Film.</p>\n<a id=\"reel\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Reelworld Film Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://www.reelworld.ca/\">https://www.reelworld.ca/</a></p>\n<p>The Reelworld Film Festival was founded in 2001 and provides professional development for Canadian racially diverse and Indigenous filmmakers and media artists. The festival's mandate is to showcase diverse work, especially work from Canadians identifying as Black, Indigenous, Asian, South Asian, Middle Eastern and/or Latinx.</p>\n<p>In 2020, Reelworld streamed online with a 100% CAD lineup. The festival has a variety of awards, including the Trailblazer Award, Visionary Award and Award of Excellence.</p>\n<a id=\"inside\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Inside Out Film and Video Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://insideout.ca/\">https://insideout.ca/</a></p>\n<p>Founded in 1991, the Inside Out Film and Video Festival is an annual film festival that presents a program of LGBTQ-related cinema. The festival is staged in both Toronto and Ottawa.</p>\n<p>The festival’s awards include the Audience Award for Best Feature Film, the Audience Award for Best Short Film, Best Documentary and Best Canadian Film. In response to the pandemic, Inside Out created an online exhibition of queer ephemera pulled from their archives.</p>\n<a id=\"bff\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Breakthroughs Film Festival (BFF)</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"http://www.breakthroughsfilmfestival.com/\">http://www.breakthroughsfilmfestival.com/ </a></p>\n<p>Founded in 2011, the Breakthroughs Film Festival (BFF) is dedicated exclusively to short films made by emerging women and non-binary directors.</p>\n<p>BFF takes place annually in downtown Toronto, showcasing Canadian and international short films in all genres from emerging directors of all ages. BFF 2020 was held online.</p>\n<p>The festival confers a number of awards, including the Audience Choice Award, the Breakthroughs Film Festival's Jury Award and Best Canadian Film.</p>\n<a id=\"regent\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Regent Park Film Festival (RPFF)</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"http://regentparkfilmfestival.com/\">http://regentparkfilmfestival.com/ </a></p>\n<p>The Regent Park Film Festival (RPFF) is a <strong>free</strong> community film festival dedicated to showcasing local and international independent films that are relevant to the Regent Park neighbourhood.</p>\n<p>This festival aims to provide the residents of Regent Park, and beyond, with a forum for dialogue about social issues such as immigration, cultural identity and multicultural relationships.</p>\n<p>RPFF was founded in 2003. The 18th annual RPFF in 2020 was held online. The festival also created the <a href=\"http://regentparkfilmfestival.com/year-round/home-made-visible/\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Home Made Visible</em></a> nationwide archival project that “celebrates the everyday joys and lives of Indigenous, Black and People of Colour (IBPoC) communities often absent from Canada’s narrative.”</p>\n<h2>Film Insurance | Short-Term Film Production Insurance | Film Equipment Insurance | Film and Video Equipment Insurance</h2>\n<p>If you’re researching film festivals in Toronto, chances are that you’re a filmmaker yourself or somehow involved in the film industry.</p>\n<p>Front Row provides production and <a href=\"/sectors/e-o-insurance\" rel=\"noopener\">producer’s E&amp;O insurance</a> for: features, episodic television, docs, shorts and more. The next time you’re working on a film production, consider Front Row’s insurance policies:</p>\n<p><a href=\"https://shortshoot.frontrowinsurance.com/\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Front Row’s Short Shoot insurance policy</strong></a> (Canada) is a good option for insuring your short-term film projects. Coverage for up to 15 consecutive days of filming. The coverage is available online, 24/7. Covers rented gear, rented locations, rented props, sets, wardrobes, and more. You can get a quote in two minutes and purchase a policy 100% online. If you are in the US, please complete <a href=\"/short-term-production-insurance-for-filmmakers-us\" rel=\"noopener\">this form</a>.</p>\n<p><a href=\"https://digigearinsure.frontrowinsurance.com/\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Front Row’s DigiGear insurance policy</strong></a> (Canada) is a good option for insuring your filmmaking gear, including your film camera(s). Also available online. Quotes in 2 minutes; policies available in 5 minutes. Shop from your phone. If you are in the US, please complete <a href=\"/film-production-equipment-insurance\" rel=\"noopener\">this form</a>.</p>\n<p>In addition, film festivals should consider insuring their film screening events; <a href=\"/articles/movie-theatre-insurance-protection-for-owners\" rel=\"noopener\">movie theatre insurance</a> can be purchased online in Canada.<br><br><span style=\"font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\"><br>About</span>: Front Row Insurance Brokers Inc. is an independent insurance broker that specializes in the entertainment industry – specifically, the film industry. Front Row works hard to provide insurance protection for the lowest possible cost. Should a claim occur, Front Row works diligently with clients and insurers to expedite the payment of claims. Offices in: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Halifax, NY, Nashville and LA.</span></p>\n<h3>Related posts:</h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/best-locations-for-filming-in-the-gta\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILMING LOCATIONS IN THE GTA</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/best-film-festivals-in-new-york-city\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILM FESTIVALS IN NYC</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/best-film-festivals-in-greater-los-angeles\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILM FESTIVALS IN LA / LOS ANGELES</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/top-10-film-festivals-in-metro-vancouver\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILM FESTIVALS IN VANCOUVER</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/top-10-film-festivals-in-quebec\" rel=\"noopener\">THE TOP 10 FILM FESTIVALS IN QUEBEC</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/best-film-festivals-in-atlantic-canada\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILM FESTS IN ATLANTIC CANADA</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"https://stories.frontrowinsurance.com/the-top-10-film-festivals-in-toronto/\" rel=\"noopener\">Google web story: The best film festivals in the GTA</a></li>\n</ul>","tag_ids":[949708709,4153051246,30486043401,32801247724,38633701909],"topic_ids":[949708709,4153051246,30486043401,32801247724,38633701909],"enable_google_amp_output_override":false,"generate_json_ld_enabled":true,"blog_post_schedule_task_uid":null,"blog_publish_to_social_media_task":"DONE","blog_publish_instant_email_task_uid":"DONE","blog_publish_instant_email_campaign_id":null,"blog_publish_instant_email_retry_count":null,"keywords":[],"composition_id":0,"is_crawlable_by_bots":false,"html_title":"The Top 10 Film Festivals in Toronto | Best Film Festivals in the GTA","public_access_rules_enabled":false,"public_access_rules":[],"state_when_deleted":null,"cloned_from":null,"staged_from":null,"personas":[],"compose_body":null,"featured_image":"https://61352.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/Top%2010%20Film%20Festivals%20in%20Toronto/ontario-oniff-shutterstock_507578743-forweb600.jpg","featured_image_alt_text":"Ontario film festivals: Best Film Festivals in the GTA","featured_image_width":600,"featured_image_height":401,"publish_timezone_offset":null,"theme_settings_values":null,"password":null,"head_html":null,"footer_html":null,"attached_stylesheets":[],"enable_domain_stylesheets":null,"include_default_custom_css":null,"deleted_by":null,"layout_sections":{},"enable_layout_stylesheets":null,"tweet":null,"tweet_at":null,"campaign_name":null,"campaign_utm":null,"meta_keywords":null,"meta_description":"Let’s provide a high-level overview of some of the best film festivals in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Of course, there are other good film festivals...","tweet_immediately":false,"publish_immediately":true,"security_state":"NONE","scheduled_update_date":0,"placement_guids":[],"property_for_dynamic_page_title":null,"property_for_dynamic_page_slug":null,"property_for_dynamic_page_meta_description":null,"property_for_dynamic_page_featured_image":null,"property_for_dynamic_page_canonical_url":null,"preview_image_src":null,"legacy_blog_tabid":null,"legacy_post_guid":null,"performable_variation_letter":null,"style_override_id":null,"has_user_changes":true,"css":{},"css_text":"","unpublished_at":0,"published_by_id":7915797,"allowed_slug_conflict":false,"ai_features":null,"link_rel_canonical_url":null,"page_redirected":false,"page_expiry_enabled":null,"page_expiry_date":null,"page_expiry_redirect_id":null,"page_expiry_redirect_url":null,"deleted_by_id":null,"past_mab_experiment_ids":[],"header":null,"published_at":1666205726237,"last_edit_session_id":null,"last_edit_update_id":null},"metaDescription":"Let’s provide a high-level overview of some of the best film festivals in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Of course, there are other good film festivals...","metaKeywords":null,"name":"<span id=\"hs_cos_wrapper_name\" class=\"hs_cos_wrapper hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field hs_cos_wrapper_type_text\" style=\"\" data-hs-cos-general-type=\"meta_field\" data-hs-cos-type=\"text\" >The Top 10 Film Festivals in Toronto | Best Film Festivals in the GTA</span>","nextPostFeaturedImage":"https://61352.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/Best%20Film%20Fests%20in%20Atlantic%20Canada/st-johns-nl-shutterstock_656776354-forweb600.jpg","nextPostFeaturedImageAltText":"St. John's: Best Film Festivals in Atlantic Canada","nextPostName":"The Best Film Festivals in Atlantic Canada","nextPostSlug":"articles/best-film-festivals-in-atlantic-canada","pageExpiryDate":null,"pageExpiryEnabled":null,"pageExpiryRedirectId":null,"pageExpiryRedirectUrl":null,"pageRedirected":false,"pageTitle":"The Top 10 Film Festivals in Toronto | Best Film Festivals in the GTA","parentBlog":{"absoluteUrl":"https://www.frontrowinsurance.com/articles","allowComments":true,"ampBodyColor":"#404040","ampBodyFont":"'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif","ampBodyFontSize":"18","ampCustomCss":"","ampHeaderBackgroundColor":"#ffffff","ampHeaderColor":"#1e1e1e","ampHeaderFont":"'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif","ampHeaderFontSize":"36","ampLinkColor":"#416bb3","ampLogoAlt":"Front Row Insurance logo","ampLogoHeight":63,"ampLogoSrc":"https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/61352/front-row-logo.png","ampLogoWidth":175,"analyticsPageId":137640,"attachedStylesheets":[],"audienceAccess":"PUBLIC","businessUnitId":null,"captchaAfterDays":7,"captchaAlways":false,"categoryId":3,"cdnPurgeEmbargoTime":null,"closeCommentsOlder":0,"commentDateFormat":"medium","commentFormGuid":"7a447743-bbf2-4b55-a759-b405bf392a7d","commentMaxThreadDepth":3,"commentModeration":true,"commentNotificationEmails":["mike@frontrowinsurance.com","grant@frontrowinsurance.com"],"commentShouldCreateContact":true,"commentVerificationText":"","cosObjectType":"BLOG","created":1401900293000,"createdDateTime":1401900293000,"dailyNotificationEmailId":"952268096","dateFormattingLanguage":"en_US","defaultGroupStyleId":"","defaultNotificationFromName":"","defaultNotificationReplyTo":"","deletedAt":0,"description":"The Front Row Insurance Blog where you can learn and converse about all things entertainment insurance related.","domain":"","domainWhenPublished":"www.frontrowinsurance.com","emailApiSubscriptionId":283237,"enableGoogleAmpOutput":true,"enableSocialAutoPublishing":false,"generateJsonLdEnabled":false,"header":null,"htmlFooter":"<!-- DELTA-->","htmlFooterIsShared":false,"htmlHead":"<!-- Blog Schema by Front Row Insurance // https://www.frontrowinsurance.com/ -->\n\n<script type=\"application/ld+json\">\n {\n \"@context\": \"http://schema.org\",\n \"@type\": \"BlogPosting\",\n \"mainEntityOfPage\":{\n \"@type\":\"WebPage\",\n \"@id\":\"https://www.frontrowinsurance.com/articles/top-10-film-festivals-in-toronto\"\n },\n \"headline\": \"The Top 10 Film Festivals in Toronto | Best Film Festivals in the GTA\",\n \"image\": {\n \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n \"url\": \"https://61352.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/Top%2010%20Film%20Festivals%20in%20Toronto/ontario-oniff-shutterstock_507578743-forweb600.jpg\"\n },\n \"datePublished\": \"2020-12-21 19:02:01\",\n \"dateModified\": \"\",\n \"author\": {\n \"@type\": \"Person\",\n \"name\": \"') }}\"\n },\n \"publisher\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"FRONT ROW INSURANCE BROKERS\",\n \"logo\": {\n \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n \"url\": \"https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/61352/images/Logos/FR_logo_%5BConverted,-Inverted%5D.png\"\n }\n },\n \"description\": \"Let’s provide a high-level overview of some of the best film festivals in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Of course, there are other good film festivals...\"\n }\n </script>\n <!-- End Schema --> \n<script type=\"text/javascript\">\n window._mNHandle = window._mNHandle || {};\n window._mNHandle.queue = window._mNHandle.queue || [];\n medianet_versionId = \"3121199\";\n</script>\n<script src=\"https://contextual.media.net/dmedianet.js?cid=8CU76IWTZ\" async=\"async\"></script>","htmlHeadIsShared":true,"htmlKeywords":["Front Row Insurance Blog"," entertainment blog"," film blog"," film insurance"," event insurance"," film festival blog"," production blog"," musicians blog"," "],"htmlTitle":"The Front Row View (entertainment insurance blog)","id":952267656,"instantNotificationEmailId":"952268061","itemLayoutId":null,"itemTemplateIsShared":false,"itemTemplatePath":"prox_frontrow/templates/blog/blog-post.html","label":"The Front Row View (entertainment insurance blog)","language":"en","legacyGuid":"469ce2ec-4dd9-442d-984a-3bab2557a02f","legacyModuleId":"164112","legacyTabId":137640,"listingLayoutId":null,"listingPageId":70026589976,"listingTemplatePath":"prox_frontrow/templates/blog/blog-listing.html","liveDomain":"www.frontrowinsurance.com","monthFilterFormat":"MMMM yyyy","monthlyNotificationEmailId":"952267981","name":"The Front Row View (entertainment insurance blog)","parentBlogUpdateTaskId":null,"portalId":61352,"postHtmlFooter":"<!-- OMEGA-->","postHtmlHead":"<!-- Blog Schema by Front Row Insurance // https://www.frontrowinsurance.com/ -->\n\n<script type=\"application/ld+json\">\n {\n \"@context\": \"http://schema.org\",\n \"@type\": \"BlogPosting\",\n \"mainEntityOfPage\":{\n \"@type\":\"WebPage\",\n \"@id\":\"https://www.frontrowinsurance.com/articles/top-10-film-festivals-in-toronto\"\n },\n \"headline\": \"The Top 10 Film Festivals in Toronto | Best Film Festivals in the GTA\",\n \"image\": {\n \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n \"url\": \"https://61352.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/Top%2010%20Film%20Festivals%20in%20Toronto/ontario-oniff-shutterstock_507578743-forweb600.jpg\"\n },\n \"datePublished\": \"2020-12-21 19:02:01\",\n \"dateModified\": \"\",\n \"author\": {\n \"@type\": \"Person\",\n \"name\": \"') }}\"\n },\n \"publisher\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"FRONT ROW INSURANCE BROKERS\",\n \"logo\": {\n \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n \"url\": \"https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/61352/images/Logos/FR_logo_%5BConverted,-Inverted%5D.png\"\n }\n },\n \"description\": \"Let’s provide a high-level overview of some of the best film festivals in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Of course, there are other good film festivals...\"\n }\n </script>\n <!-- End Schema --> \n<script type=\"text/javascript\">\n window._mNHandle = window._mNHandle || {};\n window._mNHandle.queue = window._mNHandle.queue || [];\n medianet_versionId = \"3121199\";\n</script>\n<script src=\"https://contextual.media.net/dmedianet.js?cid=8CU76IWTZ\" async=\"async\"></script>","postsPerListingPage":10,"postsPerRssFeed":10,"publicAccessRules":[],"publicAccessRulesEnabled":false,"publicTitle":"The Front Row View (entertainment insurance blog)","publishDateFormat":"medium","resolvedDomain":"www.frontrowinsurance.com","rootUrl":"https://www.frontrowinsurance.com/articles","rssCustomFeed":"","rssDescription":"RSS feeds for ","rssItemFooter":"<IMG style=\"WIDTH: 144px; HEIGHT: 78px\" title=\"\" border=0 alt=\"\" align=center src=\"http://focusinsurance.web6.hubspot.com/Portals/61352/images//logo_final.jpg\" width=138 height=78 mce_src=\"/Portals/61352/images//logo_final.jpg\">","rssItemHeader":"","settingsOverrides":{"itemLayoutId":false,"itemTemplatePath":false,"itemTemplateIsShared":false,"listingLayoutId":false,"listingTemplatePath":false,"postsPerListingPage":false,"showSummaryInListing":false,"useFeaturedImageInSummary":false,"htmlHead":false,"postHtmlHead":false,"htmlHeadIsShared":false,"htmlFooter":false,"listingPageHtmlFooter":false,"postHtmlFooter":false,"htmlFooterIsShared":false,"attachedStylesheets":false,"postsPerRssFeed":false,"showSummaryInRss":false,"showSummaryInEmails":false,"showSummariesInEmails":false,"allowComments":false,"commentShouldCreateContact":false,"commentModeration":false,"closeCommentsOlder":false,"commentNotificationEmails":false,"commentMaxThreadDepth":false,"commentVerificationText":false,"socialAccountTwitter":false,"showSocialLinkTwitter":false,"showSocialLinkLinkedin":false,"showSocialLinkFacebook":false,"enableGoogleAmpOutput":false,"ampLogoSrc":false,"ampLogoHeight":false,"ampLogoWidth":false,"ampLogoAlt":false,"ampHeaderFont":false,"ampHeaderFontSize":false,"ampHeaderColor":false,"ampHeaderBackgroundColor":false,"ampBodyFont":false,"ampBodyFontSize":false,"ampBodyColor":false,"ampLinkColor":false,"generateJsonLdEnabled":false},"showSocialLinkFacebook":true,"showSocialLinkLinkedin":true,"showSocialLinkTwitter":true,"showSummaryInEmails":true,"showSummaryInListing":false,"showSummaryInRss":true,"siteId":0,"slug":"articles","socialAccountTwitter":"","state":null,"subscriptionContactsProperty":"blog_blog_the_front_row_view_subscription","subscriptionEmailType":null,"subscriptionFormGuid":"a2c254df-2214-4c54-bd51-46da1e3029fb","subscriptionListsByType":{"daily":12,"instant":11,"monthly":10,"weekly":13},"title":null,"translatedFromId":null,"translations":{"fr":{"absoluteUrl":"https://www.frontrowinsurance.com/fr/blogue","id":2471031463,"language":"fr","masterId":952267656,"name":"The Front Row View (entertainment insurance blog)","publicAccessRules":[],"publicAccessRulesEnabled":false,"slug":"fr/blogue"}},"updated":1693318083280,"updatedDateTime":1693318083280,"urlBase":"www.frontrowinsurance.com/articles","urlSegments":{},"useFeaturedImageInSummary":true,"usesDefaultTemplate":false,"weeklyNotificationEmailId":"952268106"},"password":null,"pastMabExperimentIds":[],"performableGuid":null,"performableVariationLetter":null,"personas":[],"placementGuids":[],"portableKey":null,"portalId":61352,"position":null,"postBody":"\n\n\n\n <span id=\"hs_cos_wrapper_post_body\" class=\"hs_cos_wrapper hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field hs_cos_wrapper_type_rich_text\" style=\"\" data-hs-cos-general-type=\"meta_field\" data-hs-cos-type=\"rich_text\" ><p>Let’s provide a high-level overview of some of the best film festivals in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Of course, there are other good film festivals in the area and this list isn’t comprehensive; however, the below festivals are certainly among the most notable in the GTA.</p>\n<!--more-->\n<p>We’ll discuss (<em>in no particular order</em>):</p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#tiff\" rel=\"noopener\">TIFF</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#hotdocs\" rel=\"noopener\">Hot Docs</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#taafi\" rel=\"noopener\">TAAFI</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#buffer\" rel=\"noopener\">Buffer Festival</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#imagine\" rel=\"noopener\">imagineNATIVE</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#oniff\" rel=\"noopener\">ONIFF</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#reel\" rel=\"noopener\">Reelworld</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#inside\" rel=\"noopener\">Inside Out</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#bff\" rel=\"noopener\">Breakthroughs</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#regent\" rel=\"noopener\">Regent Park</a></li>\n</ol>\n<a id=\"tiff\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2><br>Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://tiff.net/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https://tiff.net/</a></p>\n<p>The most prominent and well-known film festival in Toronto is, of course, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Founded in 1976, many of its movies are screened at the TIFF Bell Lightbox (pictured), a modern venue housing five cinemas of various sizes.</p>\n<p>TIFF is one of the largest and most prestigious film festivals in the world, “second only to Cannes in terms of high-profile pics, stars, and market activity,” according to Variety. In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, TIFF creatively reimagined its festival to include physical screenings at drive-ins, digital screenings and virtual red carpets.</p>\n<p>Front Row has been a proud sponsor of TIFF.</p>\n<a id=\"hotdocs\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Hot Docs Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://www.hotdocs.ca/\">https://www.hotdocs.ca/</a>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>The Hot Docs Festival is the largest documentary festival in North America. Founded in 1993 by the Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC), Hot Docs is now recognized as a qualifying festival for the Academy Awards® in the Documentary Feature and Documentary Short Subject categories.</p>\n<p>Members of DOC are eligible for <a href=\"/documentary-organization-of-canada-insurance-program\" rel=\"noopener\">preferred rates on production insurance</a> through Front Row. The 2020 festival was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada; however, the festival organizers quickly pivoted to the <a href=\"https://hotdocs.ca/p/hd-home\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-style: italic;\">Hot Docs at Home</span></a> TV show in partnership with the CBC.</p>\n<p>Front Row is a proud sponsor of the Hot Docs Festival.</p>\n<a id=\"taafi\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>TAAFI – Toronto's Animation Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://taafi.com/\">https://taafi.com/</a></p>\n<p>The Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI) is held at the same venue as Hot Docs each year – the Ted Rogers Cinema. TAAFI is a film festival dedicated to presenting cartoons and animation.</p>\n<p>TAAFI confers the Kaj Pindal award, which is awarded to an animator who has made a significant contribution to the art form in the past year. TAAFI also offers an industry conference with talks from directors, creators, producers and artists.</p>\n<p>Front Row has sponsored TAAFI in the past.</p>\n<a id=\"buffer\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Buffer Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://365.bufferfestival.com/\">https://365.bufferfestival.com/ </a></p>\n<p>Buffer Festival is an annual showcase of YouTube video premieres, bringing the most acclaimed digital creators and their audiences together. The festival is, according to the Buffer Foundation, “the world’s largest international digital-first film festival.”</p>\n<p>The Buffer Foundation is a not-for-profit supporting Canadian and international digital-first filmmakers through education, celebration, recognition and development opportunities with the entertainment industry. Buffer Festival 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>\n<a id=\"imagine\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://imaginenative.org/\">https://imaginenative.org/ </a></p>\n<p>Founded in 1998, the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is the world's largest Indigenous film and media arts festival, held annually in Toronto each October. The festival focuses on the film, video, radio and new media work of Indigenous, Aboriginal and First Peoples from around the world.</p>\n<p>Many awards are presented at the festival, including the Audience Choice Award, Best Dramatic Feature, Best Short Drama and Best Indigenous Language Production.</p>\n<p>Their 21st annual festival in 2020 transitioned to an online format.</p>\n<a id=\"oniff\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Ontario International Film Festival <br><img src=\"https://f.hubspotusercontent00.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/Top%2010%20Film%20Festivals%20in%20Toronto/ontario-oniff-shutterstock_507578743-forweb600.jpg\" alt=\"Ontario International Film Festival\" style=\"width: 600px; display: block; margin: 0px auto;\" width=\"600\"></h2>\n<p><strong>Source</strong>: Royalty-free stock photo ID: 507578743, Shutterstock</p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://www.oniff.ca/\">https://www.oniff.ca/ </a></p>\n<p>The Ontario International Film Festival (ONIFF) was founded in 2020 by not-for-profit Canada Multicultural Entertainment (CME). This film festival “gives independent filmmakers from different cultures and backgrounds the opportunity to get known, learn and get acquainted with the industry.”</p>\n<p>The festival confers a variety of awards, including Best International Feature Film, Best Canadian Feature Film, Best Screenwriting and Best Canadian Student Film.</p>\n<a id=\"reel\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Reelworld Film Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://www.reelworld.ca/\">https://www.reelworld.ca/</a></p>\n<p>The Reelworld Film Festival was founded in 2001 and provides professional development for Canadian racially diverse and Indigenous filmmakers and media artists. The festival's mandate is to showcase diverse work, especially work from Canadians identifying as Black, Indigenous, Asian, South Asian, Middle Eastern and/or Latinx.</p>\n<p>In 2020, Reelworld streamed online with a 100% CAD lineup. The festival has a variety of awards, including the Trailblazer Award, Visionary Award and Award of Excellence.</p>\n<a id=\"inside\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Inside Out Film and Video Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://insideout.ca/\">https://insideout.ca/</a></p>\n<p>Founded in 1991, the Inside Out Film and Video Festival is an annual film festival that presents a program of LGBTQ-related cinema. The festival is staged in both Toronto and Ottawa.</p>\n<p>The festival’s awards include the Audience Award for Best Feature Film, the Audience Award for Best Short Film, Best Documentary and Best Canadian Film. In response to the pandemic, Inside Out created an online exhibition of queer ephemera pulled from their archives.</p>\n<a id=\"bff\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Breakthroughs Film Festival (BFF)</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"http://www.breakthroughsfilmfestival.com/\">http://www.breakthroughsfilmfestival.com/ </a></p>\n<p>Founded in 2011, the Breakthroughs Film Festival (BFF) is dedicated exclusively to short films made by emerging women and non-binary directors.</p>\n<p>BFF takes place annually in downtown Toronto, showcasing Canadian and international short films in all genres from emerging directors of all ages. BFF 2020 was held online.</p>\n<p>The festival confers a number of awards, including the Audience Choice Award, the Breakthroughs Film Festival's Jury Award and Best Canadian Film.</p>\n<a id=\"regent\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Regent Park Film Festival (RPFF)</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"http://regentparkfilmfestival.com/\">http://regentparkfilmfestival.com/ </a></p>\n<p>The Regent Park Film Festival (RPFF) is a <strong>free</strong> community film festival dedicated to showcasing local and international independent films that are relevant to the Regent Park neighbourhood.</p>\n<p>This festival aims to provide the residents of Regent Park, and beyond, with a forum for dialogue about social issues such as immigration, cultural identity and multicultural relationships.</p>\n<p>RPFF was founded in 2003. The 18th annual RPFF in 2020 was held online. The festival also created the <a href=\"http://regentparkfilmfestival.com/year-round/home-made-visible/\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Home Made Visible</em></a> nationwide archival project that “celebrates the everyday joys and lives of Indigenous, Black and People of Colour (IBPoC) communities often absent from Canada’s narrative.”</p>\n<h2>Film Insurance | Short-Term Film Production Insurance | Film Equipment Insurance | Film and Video Equipment Insurance</h2>\n<p>If you’re researching film festivals in Toronto, chances are that you’re a filmmaker yourself or somehow involved in the film industry.</p>\n<p>Front Row provides production and <a href=\"/sectors/e-o-insurance\" rel=\"noopener\">producer’s E&amp;O insurance</a> for: features, episodic television, docs, shorts and more. The next time you’re working on a film production, consider Front Row’s insurance policies:</p>\n<p><a href=\"https://shortshoot.frontrowinsurance.com/\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Front Row’s Short Shoot insurance policy</strong></a> (Canada) is a good option for insuring your short-term film projects. Coverage for up to 15 consecutive days of filming. The coverage is available online, 24/7. Covers rented gear, rented locations, rented props, sets, wardrobes, and more. You can get a quote in two minutes and purchase a policy 100% online. If you are in the US, please complete <a href=\"/short-term-production-insurance-for-filmmakers-us\" rel=\"noopener\">this form</a>.</p>\n<p><a href=\"https://digigearinsure.frontrowinsurance.com/\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Front Row’s DigiGear insurance policy</strong></a> (Canada) is a good option for insuring your filmmaking gear, including your film camera(s). Also available online. Quotes in 2 minutes; policies available in 5 minutes. Shop from your phone. If you are in the US, please complete <a href=\"/film-production-equipment-insurance\" rel=\"noopener\">this form</a>.</p>\n<p>In addition, film festivals should consider insuring their film screening events; <a href=\"/articles/movie-theatre-insurance-protection-for-owners\" rel=\"noopener\">movie theatre insurance</a> can be purchased online in Canada.<br><br><span style=\"font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\"><br>About</span>: Front Row Insurance Brokers Inc. is an independent insurance broker that specializes in the entertainment industry – specifically, the film industry. Front Row works hard to provide insurance protection for the lowest possible cost. Should a claim occur, Front Row works diligently with clients and insurers to expedite the payment of claims. Offices in: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Halifax, NY, Nashville and LA.</span></p>\n<h3>Related posts:</h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/best-locations-for-filming-in-the-gta\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILMING LOCATIONS IN THE GTA</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/best-film-festivals-in-new-york-city\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILM FESTIVALS IN NYC</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/best-film-festivals-in-greater-los-angeles\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILM FESTIVALS IN LA / LOS ANGELES</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/top-10-film-festivals-in-metro-vancouver\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILM FESTIVALS IN VANCOUVER</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/top-10-film-festivals-in-quebec\" rel=\"noopener\">THE TOP 10 FILM FESTIVALS IN QUEBEC</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/best-film-festivals-in-atlantic-canada\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILM FESTS IN ATLANTIC CANADA</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"https://stories.frontrowinsurance.com/the-top-10-film-festivals-in-toronto/\" rel=\"noopener\">Google web story: The best film festivals in the GTA</a></li>\n</ul></span>\n","postBodyRss":"<p>Let’s provide a high-level overview of some of the best film festivals in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Of course, there are other good film festivals in the area and this list isn’t comprehensive; however, the below festivals are certainly among the most notable in the GTA.</p>\n<!--more-->\n<p>We’ll discuss (<em>in no particular order</em>):</p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#tiff\" rel=\"noopener\">TIFF</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#hotdocs\" rel=\"noopener\">Hot Docs</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#taafi\" rel=\"noopener\">TAAFI</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#buffer\" rel=\"noopener\">Buffer Festival</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#imagine\" rel=\"noopener\">imagineNATIVE</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#oniff\" rel=\"noopener\">ONIFF</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#reel\" rel=\"noopener\">Reelworld</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#inside\" rel=\"noopener\">Inside Out</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#bff\" rel=\"noopener\">Breakthroughs</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#regent\" rel=\"noopener\">Regent Park</a></li>\n</ol>\n<a id=\"tiff\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2><br>Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://tiff.net/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https://tiff.net/</a></p>\n<p>The most prominent and well-known film festival in Toronto is, of course, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Founded in 1976, many of its movies are screened at the TIFF Bell Lightbox (pictured), a modern venue housing five cinemas of various sizes.</p>\n<p>TIFF is one of the largest and most prestigious film festivals in the world, “second only to Cannes in terms of high-profile pics, stars, and market activity,” according to Variety. In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, TIFF creatively reimagined its festival to include physical screenings at drive-ins, digital screenings and virtual red carpets.</p>\n<p>Front Row has been a proud sponsor of TIFF.</p>\n<a id=\"hotdocs\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Hot Docs Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://www.hotdocs.ca/\">https://www.hotdocs.ca/</a>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>The Hot Docs Festival is the largest documentary festival in North America. Founded in 1993 by the Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC), Hot Docs is now recognized as a qualifying festival for the Academy Awards® in the Documentary Feature and Documentary Short Subject categories.</p>\n<p>Members of DOC are eligible for <a href=\"/documentary-organization-of-canada-insurance-program\" rel=\"noopener\">preferred rates on production insurance</a> through Front Row. The 2020 festival was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada; however, the festival organizers quickly pivoted to the <a href=\"https://hotdocs.ca/p/hd-home\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-style: italic;\">Hot Docs at Home</span></a> TV show in partnership with the CBC.</p>\n<p>Front Row is a proud sponsor of the Hot Docs Festival.</p>\n<a id=\"taafi\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>TAAFI – Toronto's Animation Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://taafi.com/\">https://taafi.com/</a></p>\n<p>The Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI) is held at the same venue as Hot Docs each year – the Ted Rogers Cinema. TAAFI is a film festival dedicated to presenting cartoons and animation.</p>\n<p>TAAFI confers the Kaj Pindal award, which is awarded to an animator who has made a significant contribution to the art form in the past year. TAAFI also offers an industry conference with talks from directors, creators, producers and artists.</p>\n<p>Front Row has sponsored TAAFI in the past.</p>\n<a id=\"buffer\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Buffer Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://365.bufferfestival.com/\">https://365.bufferfestival.com/ </a></p>\n<p>Buffer Festival is an annual showcase of YouTube video premieres, bringing the most acclaimed digital creators and their audiences together. The festival is, according to the Buffer Foundation, “the world’s largest international digital-first film festival.”</p>\n<p>The Buffer Foundation is a not-for-profit supporting Canadian and international digital-first filmmakers through education, celebration, recognition and development opportunities with the entertainment industry. Buffer Festival 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>\n<a id=\"imagine\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://imaginenative.org/\">https://imaginenative.org/ </a></p>\n<p>Founded in 1998, the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is the world's largest Indigenous film and media arts festival, held annually in Toronto each October. The festival focuses on the film, video, radio and new media work of Indigenous, Aboriginal and First Peoples from around the world.</p>\n<p>Many awards are presented at the festival, including the Audience Choice Award, Best Dramatic Feature, Best Short Drama and Best Indigenous Language Production.</p>\n<p>Their 21st annual festival in 2020 transitioned to an online format.</p>\n<a id=\"oniff\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Ontario International Film Festival <br><img src=\"https://f.hubspotusercontent00.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/Top%2010%20Film%20Festivals%20in%20Toronto/ontario-oniff-shutterstock_507578743-forweb600.jpg\" alt=\"Ontario International Film Festival\" style=\"width: 600px; display: block; margin: 0px auto;\" width=\"600\"></h2>\n<p><strong>Source</strong>: Royalty-free stock photo ID: 507578743, Shutterstock</p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://www.oniff.ca/\">https://www.oniff.ca/ </a></p>\n<p>The Ontario International Film Festival (ONIFF) was founded in 2020 by not-for-profit Canada Multicultural Entertainment (CME). This film festival “gives independent filmmakers from different cultures and backgrounds the opportunity to get known, learn and get acquainted with the industry.”</p>\n<p>The festival confers a variety of awards, including Best International Feature Film, Best Canadian Feature Film, Best Screenwriting and Best Canadian Student Film.</p>\n<a id=\"reel\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Reelworld Film Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://www.reelworld.ca/\">https://www.reelworld.ca/</a></p>\n<p>The Reelworld Film Festival was founded in 2001 and provides professional development for Canadian racially diverse and Indigenous filmmakers and media artists. The festival's mandate is to showcase diverse work, especially work from Canadians identifying as Black, Indigenous, Asian, South Asian, Middle Eastern and/or Latinx.</p>\n<p>In 2020, Reelworld streamed online with a 100% CAD lineup. The festival has a variety of awards, including the Trailblazer Award, Visionary Award and Award of Excellence.</p>\n<a id=\"inside\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Inside Out Film and Video Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://insideout.ca/\">https://insideout.ca/</a></p>\n<p>Founded in 1991, the Inside Out Film and Video Festival is an annual film festival that presents a program of LGBTQ-related cinema. The festival is staged in both Toronto and Ottawa.</p>\n<p>The festival’s awards include the Audience Award for Best Feature Film, the Audience Award for Best Short Film, Best Documentary and Best Canadian Film. In response to the pandemic, Inside Out created an online exhibition of queer ephemera pulled from their archives.</p>\n<a id=\"bff\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Breakthroughs Film Festival (BFF)</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"http://www.breakthroughsfilmfestival.com/\">http://www.breakthroughsfilmfestival.com/ </a></p>\n<p>Founded in 2011, the Breakthroughs Film Festival (BFF) is dedicated exclusively to short films made by emerging women and non-binary directors.</p>\n<p>BFF takes place annually in downtown Toronto, showcasing Canadian and international short films in all genres from emerging directors of all ages. BFF 2020 was held online.</p>\n<p>The festival confers a number of awards, including the Audience Choice Award, the Breakthroughs Film Festival's Jury Award and Best Canadian Film.</p>\n<a id=\"regent\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Regent Park Film Festival (RPFF)</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"http://regentparkfilmfestival.com/\">http://regentparkfilmfestival.com/ </a></p>\n<p>The Regent Park Film Festival (RPFF) is a <strong>free</strong> community film festival dedicated to showcasing local and international independent films that are relevant to the Regent Park neighbourhood.</p>\n<p>This festival aims to provide the residents of Regent Park, and beyond, with a forum for dialogue about social issues such as immigration, cultural identity and multicultural relationships.</p>\n<p>RPFF was founded in 2003. The 18th annual RPFF in 2020 was held online. The festival also created the <a href=\"http://regentparkfilmfestival.com/year-round/home-made-visible/\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Home Made Visible</em></a> nationwide archival project that “celebrates the everyday joys and lives of Indigenous, Black and People of Colour (IBPoC) communities often absent from Canada’s narrative.”</p>\n<h2>Film Insurance | Short-Term Film Production Insurance | Film Equipment Insurance | Film and Video Equipment Insurance</h2>\n<p>If you’re researching film festivals in Toronto, chances are that you’re a filmmaker yourself or somehow involved in the film industry.</p>\n<p>Front Row provides production and <a href=\"/sectors/e-o-insurance\" rel=\"noopener\">producer’s E&amp;O insurance</a> for: features, episodic television, docs, shorts and more. The next time you’re working on a film production, consider Front Row’s insurance policies:</p>\n<p><a href=\"https://shortshoot.frontrowinsurance.com/\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Front Row’s Short Shoot insurance policy</strong></a> (Canada) is a good option for insuring your short-term film projects. Coverage for up to 15 consecutive days of filming. The coverage is available online, 24/7. Covers rented gear, rented locations, rented props, sets, wardrobes, and more. You can get a quote in two minutes and purchase a policy 100% online. If you are in the US, please complete <a href=\"/short-term-production-insurance-for-filmmakers-us\" rel=\"noopener\">this form</a>.</p>\n<p><a href=\"https://digigearinsure.frontrowinsurance.com/\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Front Row’s DigiGear insurance policy</strong></a> (Canada) is a good option for insuring your filmmaking gear, including your film camera(s). Also available online. Quotes in 2 minutes; policies available in 5 minutes. Shop from your phone. If you are in the US, please complete <a href=\"/film-production-equipment-insurance\" rel=\"noopener\">this form</a>.</p>\n<p>In addition, film festivals should consider insuring their film screening events; <a href=\"/articles/movie-theatre-insurance-protection-for-owners\" rel=\"noopener\">movie theatre insurance</a> can be purchased online in Canada.<br><br><span style=\"font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\"><br>About</span>: Front Row Insurance Brokers Inc. is an independent insurance broker that specializes in the entertainment industry – specifically, the film industry. Front Row works hard to provide insurance protection for the lowest possible cost. Should a claim occur, Front Row works diligently with clients and insurers to expedite the payment of claims. Offices in: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Halifax, NY, Nashville and LA.</span></p>\n<h3>Related posts:</h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/best-locations-for-filming-in-the-gta\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILMING LOCATIONS IN THE GTA</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/best-film-festivals-in-new-york-city\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILM FESTIVALS IN NYC</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/best-film-festivals-in-greater-los-angeles\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILM FESTIVALS IN LA / LOS ANGELES</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/top-10-film-festivals-in-metro-vancouver\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILM FESTIVALS IN VANCOUVER</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/top-10-film-festivals-in-quebec\" rel=\"noopener\">THE TOP 10 FILM FESTIVALS IN QUEBEC</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/best-film-festivals-in-atlantic-canada\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILM FESTS IN ATLANTIC CANADA</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"https://stories.frontrowinsurance.com/the-top-10-film-festivals-in-toronto/\" rel=\"noopener\">Google web story: The best film festivals in the GTA</a></li>\n</ul>","postEmailContent":"<p>Let’s provide a high-level overview of some of the best film festivals in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Of course, there are other good film festivals in the area and this list isn’t comprehensive; however, the below festivals are certainly among the most notable in the GTA.</p>","postFeaturedImageIfEnabled":"https://61352.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/Top%2010%20Film%20Festivals%20in%20Toronto/ontario-oniff-shutterstock_507578743-forweb600.jpg","postListContent":"\n\n\n\n <span id=\"hs_cos_wrapper_post_body\" class=\"hs_cos_wrapper hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field hs_cos_wrapper_type_rich_text\" style=\"\" data-hs-cos-general-type=\"meta_field\" data-hs-cos-type=\"rich_text\" ><p>Let’s provide a high-level overview of some of the best film festivals in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Of course, there are other good film festivals in the area and this list isn’t comprehensive; however, the below festivals are certainly among the most notable in the GTA.</p>\n<!--more-->\n<p>We’ll discuss (<em>in no particular order</em>):</p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#tiff\" rel=\"noopener\">TIFF</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#hotdocs\" rel=\"noopener\">Hot Docs</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#taafi\" rel=\"noopener\">TAAFI</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#buffer\" rel=\"noopener\">Buffer Festival</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#imagine\" rel=\"noopener\">imagineNATIVE</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#oniff\" rel=\"noopener\">ONIFF</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#reel\" rel=\"noopener\">Reelworld</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#inside\" rel=\"noopener\">Inside Out</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#bff\" rel=\"noopener\">Breakthroughs</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#regent\" rel=\"noopener\">Regent Park</a></li>\n</ol>\n<a id=\"tiff\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2><br>Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://tiff.net/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https://tiff.net/</a></p>\n<p>The most prominent and well-known film festival in Toronto is, of course, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Founded in 1976, many of its movies are screened at the TIFF Bell Lightbox (pictured), a modern venue housing five cinemas of various sizes.</p>\n<p>TIFF is one of the largest and most prestigious film festivals in the world, “second only to Cannes in terms of high-profile pics, stars, and market activity,” according to Variety. In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, TIFF creatively reimagined its festival to include physical screenings at drive-ins, digital screenings and virtual red carpets.</p>\n<p>Front Row has been a proud sponsor of TIFF.</p>\n<a id=\"hotdocs\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Hot Docs Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://www.hotdocs.ca/\">https://www.hotdocs.ca/</a>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>The Hot Docs Festival is the largest documentary festival in North America. Founded in 1993 by the Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC), Hot Docs is now recognized as a qualifying festival for the Academy Awards® in the Documentary Feature and Documentary Short Subject categories.</p>\n<p>Members of DOC are eligible for <a href=\"/documentary-organization-of-canada-insurance-program\" rel=\"noopener\">preferred rates on production insurance</a> through Front Row. The 2020 festival was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada; however, the festival organizers quickly pivoted to the <a href=\"https://hotdocs.ca/p/hd-home\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-style: italic;\">Hot Docs at Home</span></a> TV show in partnership with the CBC.</p>\n<p>Front Row is a proud sponsor of the Hot Docs Festival.</p>\n<a id=\"taafi\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>TAAFI – Toronto's Animation Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://taafi.com/\">https://taafi.com/</a></p>\n<p>The Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI) is held at the same venue as Hot Docs each year – the Ted Rogers Cinema. TAAFI is a film festival dedicated to presenting cartoons and animation.</p>\n<p>TAAFI confers the Kaj Pindal award, which is awarded to an animator who has made a significant contribution to the art form in the past year. TAAFI also offers an industry conference with talks from directors, creators, producers and artists.</p>\n<p>Front Row has sponsored TAAFI in the past.</p>\n<a id=\"buffer\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Buffer Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://365.bufferfestival.com/\">https://365.bufferfestival.com/ </a></p>\n<p>Buffer Festival is an annual showcase of YouTube video premieres, bringing the most acclaimed digital creators and their audiences together. The festival is, according to the Buffer Foundation, “the world’s largest international digital-first film festival.”</p>\n<p>The Buffer Foundation is a not-for-profit supporting Canadian and international digital-first filmmakers through education, celebration, recognition and development opportunities with the entertainment industry. Buffer Festival 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>\n<a id=\"imagine\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://imaginenative.org/\">https://imaginenative.org/ </a></p>\n<p>Founded in 1998, the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is the world's largest Indigenous film and media arts festival, held annually in Toronto each October. The festival focuses on the film, video, radio and new media work of Indigenous, Aboriginal and First Peoples from around the world.</p>\n<p>Many awards are presented at the festival, including the Audience Choice Award, Best Dramatic Feature, Best Short Drama and Best Indigenous Language Production.</p>\n<p>Their 21st annual festival in 2020 transitioned to an online format.</p>\n<a id=\"oniff\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Ontario International Film Festival <br><img src=\"https://f.hubspotusercontent00.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/Top%2010%20Film%20Festivals%20in%20Toronto/ontario-oniff-shutterstock_507578743-forweb600.jpg\" alt=\"Ontario International Film Festival\" style=\"width: 600px; display: block; margin: 0px auto;\" width=\"600\"></h2>\n<p><strong>Source</strong>: Royalty-free stock photo ID: 507578743, Shutterstock</p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://www.oniff.ca/\">https://www.oniff.ca/ </a></p>\n<p>The Ontario International Film Festival (ONIFF) was founded in 2020 by not-for-profit Canada Multicultural Entertainment (CME). This film festival “gives independent filmmakers from different cultures and backgrounds the opportunity to get known, learn and get acquainted with the industry.”</p>\n<p>The festival confers a variety of awards, including Best International Feature Film, Best Canadian Feature Film, Best Screenwriting and Best Canadian Student Film.</p>\n<a id=\"reel\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Reelworld Film Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://www.reelworld.ca/\">https://www.reelworld.ca/</a></p>\n<p>The Reelworld Film Festival was founded in 2001 and provides professional development for Canadian racially diverse and Indigenous filmmakers and media artists. The festival's mandate is to showcase diverse work, especially work from Canadians identifying as Black, Indigenous, Asian, South Asian, Middle Eastern and/or Latinx.</p>\n<p>In 2020, Reelworld streamed online with a 100% CAD lineup. The festival has a variety of awards, including the Trailblazer Award, Visionary Award and Award of Excellence.</p>\n<a id=\"inside\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Inside Out Film and Video Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://insideout.ca/\">https://insideout.ca/</a></p>\n<p>Founded in 1991, the Inside Out Film and Video Festival is an annual film festival that presents a program of LGBTQ-related cinema. The festival is staged in both Toronto and Ottawa.</p>\n<p>The festival’s awards include the Audience Award for Best Feature Film, the Audience Award for Best Short Film, Best Documentary and Best Canadian Film. In response to the pandemic, Inside Out created an online exhibition of queer ephemera pulled from their archives.</p>\n<a id=\"bff\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Breakthroughs Film Festival (BFF)</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"http://www.breakthroughsfilmfestival.com/\">http://www.breakthroughsfilmfestival.com/ </a></p>\n<p>Founded in 2011, the Breakthroughs Film Festival (BFF) is dedicated exclusively to short films made by emerging women and non-binary directors.</p>\n<p>BFF takes place annually in downtown Toronto, showcasing Canadian and international short films in all genres from emerging directors of all ages. BFF 2020 was held online.</p>\n<p>The festival confers a number of awards, including the Audience Choice Award, the Breakthroughs Film Festival's Jury Award and Best Canadian Film.</p>\n<a id=\"regent\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Regent Park Film Festival (RPFF)</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"http://regentparkfilmfestival.com/\">http://regentparkfilmfestival.com/ </a></p>\n<p>The Regent Park Film Festival (RPFF) is a <strong>free</strong> community film festival dedicated to showcasing local and international independent films that are relevant to the Regent Park neighbourhood.</p>\n<p>This festival aims to provide the residents of Regent Park, and beyond, with a forum for dialogue about social issues such as immigration, cultural identity and multicultural relationships.</p>\n<p>RPFF was founded in 2003. The 18th annual RPFF in 2020 was held online. The festival also created the <a href=\"http://regentparkfilmfestival.com/year-round/home-made-visible/\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Home Made Visible</em></a> nationwide archival project that “celebrates the everyday joys and lives of Indigenous, Black and People of Colour (IBPoC) communities often absent from Canada’s narrative.”</p>\n<h2>Film Insurance | Short-Term Film Production Insurance | Film Equipment Insurance | Film and Video Equipment Insurance</h2>\n<p>If you’re researching film festivals in Toronto, chances are that you’re a filmmaker yourself or somehow involved in the film industry.</p>\n<p>Front Row provides production and <a href=\"/sectors/e-o-insurance\" rel=\"noopener\">producer’s E&amp;O insurance</a> for: features, episodic television, docs, shorts and more. The next time you’re working on a film production, consider Front Row’s insurance policies:</p>\n<p><a href=\"https://shortshoot.frontrowinsurance.com/\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Front Row’s Short Shoot insurance policy</strong></a> (Canada) is a good option for insuring your short-term film projects. Coverage for up to 15 consecutive days of filming. The coverage is available online, 24/7. Covers rented gear, rented locations, rented props, sets, wardrobes, and more. You can get a quote in two minutes and purchase a policy 100% online. If you are in the US, please complete <a href=\"/short-term-production-insurance-for-filmmakers-us\" rel=\"noopener\">this form</a>.</p>\n<p><a href=\"https://digigearinsure.frontrowinsurance.com/\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Front Row’s DigiGear insurance policy</strong></a> (Canada) is a good option for insuring your filmmaking gear, including your film camera(s). Also available online. Quotes in 2 minutes; policies available in 5 minutes. Shop from your phone. If you are in the US, please complete <a href=\"/film-production-equipment-insurance\" rel=\"noopener\">this form</a>.</p>\n<p>In addition, film festivals should consider insuring their film screening events; <a href=\"/articles/movie-theatre-insurance-protection-for-owners\" rel=\"noopener\">movie theatre insurance</a> can be purchased online in Canada.<br><br><span style=\"font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\"><br>About</span>: Front Row Insurance Brokers Inc. is an independent insurance broker that specializes in the entertainment industry – specifically, the film industry. Front Row works hard to provide insurance protection for the lowest possible cost. Should a claim occur, Front Row works diligently with clients and insurers to expedite the payment of claims. Offices in: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Halifax, NY, Nashville and LA.</span></p>\n<h3>Related posts:</h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/best-locations-for-filming-in-the-gta\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILMING LOCATIONS IN THE GTA</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/best-film-festivals-in-new-york-city\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILM FESTIVALS IN NYC</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/best-film-festivals-in-greater-los-angeles\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILM FESTIVALS IN LA / LOS ANGELES</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/top-10-film-festivals-in-metro-vancouver\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILM FESTIVALS IN VANCOUVER</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/top-10-film-festivals-in-quebec\" rel=\"noopener\">THE TOP 10 FILM FESTIVALS IN QUEBEC</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/best-film-festivals-in-atlantic-canada\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILM FESTS IN ATLANTIC CANADA</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"https://stories.frontrowinsurance.com/the-top-10-film-festivals-in-toronto/\" rel=\"noopener\">Google web story: The best film festivals in the GTA</a></li>\n</ul></span>\n","postListSummaryFeaturedImage":"","postRssContent":"<p>Let’s provide a high-level overview of some of the best film festivals in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Of course, there are other good film festivals in the area and this list isn’t comprehensive; however, the below festivals are certainly among the most notable in the GTA.</p>","postRssSummaryFeaturedImage":"https://61352.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/Top%2010%20Film%20Festivals%20in%20Toronto/ontario-oniff-shutterstock_507578743-forweb600.jpg","postSummary":"<p>Let’s provide a high-level overview of some of the best film festivals in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Of course, there are other good film festivals in the area and this list isn’t comprehensive; however, the below festivals are certainly among the most notable in the GTA.</p>\n","postSummaryRss":"<p>Let’s provide a high-level overview of some of the best film festivals in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Of course, there are other good film festivals in the area and this list isn’t comprehensive; however, the below festivals are certainly among the most notable in the GTA.</p>","postTemplate":"prox_frontrow/templates/blog/blog-post.html","previewImageSrc":null,"previewKey":"AWWTxVEr","previousPostFeaturedImage":"https://61352.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/Best%20Film%20Fests%20in%20Vancouver%20BC/van-shutterstock_784946452-forweb600.jpg","previousPostFeaturedImageAltText":"Vancouver sky: Top 10 Film Festivals in Metro Vancouver","previousPostName":"The Top 10 Film Festivals in Metro Vancouver / Best Film Fests in BC","previousPostSlug":"articles/top-10-film-festivals-in-metro-vancouver","processingStatus":"PUBLISHED","propertyForDynamicPageCanonicalUrl":null,"propertyForDynamicPageFeaturedImage":null,"propertyForDynamicPageMetaDescription":null,"propertyForDynamicPageSlug":null,"propertyForDynamicPageTitle":null,"publicAccessRules":[],"publicAccessRulesEnabled":false,"publishDate":1608577321000,"publishDateLocalTime":1608577321000,"publishDateLocalized":{"date":1608577321000,"format":"medium","language":"en_US"},"publishImmediately":true,"publishTimezoneOffset":null,"publishedAt":1666205726237,"publishedByEmail":null,"publishedById":7915797,"publishedByName":null,"publishedUrl":"https://www.frontrowinsurance.com/articles/top-10-film-festivals-in-toronto","resolvedDomain":"www.frontrowinsurance.com","resolvedLanguage":null,"rssBody":"<p>Let’s provide a high-level overview of some of the best film festivals in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Of course, there are other good film festivals in the area and this list isn’t comprehensive; however, the below festivals are certainly among the most notable in the GTA.</p>\n<!--more-->\n<p>We’ll discuss (<em>in no particular order</em>):</p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#tiff\" rel=\"noopener\">TIFF</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#hotdocs\" rel=\"noopener\">Hot Docs</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#taafi\" rel=\"noopener\">TAAFI</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#buffer\" rel=\"noopener\">Buffer Festival</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#imagine\" rel=\"noopener\">imagineNATIVE</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#oniff\" rel=\"noopener\">ONIFF</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#reel\" rel=\"noopener\">Reelworld</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#inside\" rel=\"noopener\">Inside Out</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#bff\" rel=\"noopener\">Breakthroughs</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"#regent\" rel=\"noopener\">Regent Park</a></li>\n</ol>\n<a id=\"tiff\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2><br>Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://tiff.net/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https://tiff.net/</a></p>\n<p>The most prominent and well-known film festival in Toronto is, of course, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Founded in 1976, many of its movies are screened at the TIFF Bell Lightbox (pictured), a modern venue housing five cinemas of various sizes.</p>\n<p>TIFF is one of the largest and most prestigious film festivals in the world, “second only to Cannes in terms of high-profile pics, stars, and market activity,” according to Variety. In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, TIFF creatively reimagined its festival to include physical screenings at drive-ins, digital screenings and virtual red carpets.</p>\n<p>Front Row has been a proud sponsor of TIFF.</p>\n<a id=\"hotdocs\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Hot Docs Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://www.hotdocs.ca/\">https://www.hotdocs.ca/</a>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>The Hot Docs Festival is the largest documentary festival in North America. Founded in 1993 by the Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC), Hot Docs is now recognized as a qualifying festival for the Academy Awards® in the Documentary Feature and Documentary Short Subject categories.</p>\n<p>Members of DOC are eligible for <a href=\"/documentary-organization-of-canada-insurance-program\" rel=\"noopener\">preferred rates on production insurance</a> through Front Row. The 2020 festival was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada; however, the festival organizers quickly pivoted to the <a href=\"https://hotdocs.ca/p/hd-home\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-style: italic;\">Hot Docs at Home</span></a> TV show in partnership with the CBC.</p>\n<p>Front Row is a proud sponsor of the Hot Docs Festival.</p>\n<a id=\"taafi\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>TAAFI – Toronto's Animation Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://taafi.com/\">https://taafi.com/</a></p>\n<p>The Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI) is held at the same venue as Hot Docs each year – the Ted Rogers Cinema. TAAFI is a film festival dedicated to presenting cartoons and animation.</p>\n<p>TAAFI confers the Kaj Pindal award, which is awarded to an animator who has made a significant contribution to the art form in the past year. TAAFI also offers an industry conference with talks from directors, creators, producers and artists.</p>\n<p>Front Row has sponsored TAAFI in the past.</p>\n<a id=\"buffer\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Buffer Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://365.bufferfestival.com/\">https://365.bufferfestival.com/ </a></p>\n<p>Buffer Festival is an annual showcase of YouTube video premieres, bringing the most acclaimed digital creators and their audiences together. The festival is, according to the Buffer Foundation, “the world’s largest international digital-first film festival.”</p>\n<p>The Buffer Foundation is a not-for-profit supporting Canadian and international digital-first filmmakers through education, celebration, recognition and development opportunities with the entertainment industry. Buffer Festival 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>\n<a id=\"imagine\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://imaginenative.org/\">https://imaginenative.org/ </a></p>\n<p>Founded in 1998, the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is the world's largest Indigenous film and media arts festival, held annually in Toronto each October. The festival focuses on the film, video, radio and new media work of Indigenous, Aboriginal and First Peoples from around the world.</p>\n<p>Many awards are presented at the festival, including the Audience Choice Award, Best Dramatic Feature, Best Short Drama and Best Indigenous Language Production.</p>\n<p>Their 21st annual festival in 2020 transitioned to an online format.</p>\n<a id=\"oniff\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Ontario International Film Festival <br><img src=\"https://f.hubspotusercontent00.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/Top%2010%20Film%20Festivals%20in%20Toronto/ontario-oniff-shutterstock_507578743-forweb600.jpg\" alt=\"Ontario International Film Festival\" style=\"width: 600px; display: block; margin: 0px auto;\" width=\"600\"></h2>\n<p><strong>Source</strong>: Royalty-free stock photo ID: 507578743, Shutterstock</p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://www.oniff.ca/\">https://www.oniff.ca/ </a></p>\n<p>The Ontario International Film Festival (ONIFF) was founded in 2020 by not-for-profit Canada Multicultural Entertainment (CME). This film festival “gives independent filmmakers from different cultures and backgrounds the opportunity to get known, learn and get acquainted with the industry.”</p>\n<p>The festival confers a variety of awards, including Best International Feature Film, Best Canadian Feature Film, Best Screenwriting and Best Canadian Student Film.</p>\n<a id=\"reel\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Reelworld Film Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://www.reelworld.ca/\">https://www.reelworld.ca/</a></p>\n<p>The Reelworld Film Festival was founded in 2001 and provides professional development for Canadian racially diverse and Indigenous filmmakers and media artists. The festival's mandate is to showcase diverse work, especially work from Canadians identifying as Black, Indigenous, Asian, South Asian, Middle Eastern and/or Latinx.</p>\n<p>In 2020, Reelworld streamed online with a 100% CAD lineup. The festival has a variety of awards, including the Trailblazer Award, Visionary Award and Award of Excellence.</p>\n<a id=\"inside\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Inside Out Film and Video Festival</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"https://insideout.ca/\">https://insideout.ca/</a></p>\n<p>Founded in 1991, the Inside Out Film and Video Festival is an annual film festival that presents a program of LGBTQ-related cinema. The festival is staged in both Toronto and Ottawa.</p>\n<p>The festival’s awards include the Audience Award for Best Feature Film, the Audience Award for Best Short Film, Best Documentary and Best Canadian Film. In response to the pandemic, Inside Out created an online exhibition of queer ephemera pulled from their archives.</p>\n<a id=\"bff\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Breakthroughs Film Festival (BFF)</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"http://www.breakthroughsfilmfestival.com/\">http://www.breakthroughsfilmfestival.com/ </a></p>\n<p>Founded in 2011, the Breakthroughs Film Festival (BFF) is dedicated exclusively to short films made by emerging women and non-binary directors.</p>\n<p>BFF takes place annually in downtown Toronto, showcasing Canadian and international short films in all genres from emerging directors of all ages. BFF 2020 was held online.</p>\n<p>The festival confers a number of awards, including the Audience Choice Award, the Breakthroughs Film Festival's Jury Award and Best Canadian Film.</p>\n<a id=\"regent\" data-hs-anchor=\"true\"></a>\n<h2>Regent Park Film Festival (RPFF)</h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Website</span>: <a href=\"http://regentparkfilmfestival.com/\">http://regentparkfilmfestival.com/ </a></p>\n<p>The Regent Park Film Festival (RPFF) is a <strong>free</strong> community film festival dedicated to showcasing local and international independent films that are relevant to the Regent Park neighbourhood.</p>\n<p>This festival aims to provide the residents of Regent Park, and beyond, with a forum for dialogue about social issues such as immigration, cultural identity and multicultural relationships.</p>\n<p>RPFF was founded in 2003. The 18th annual RPFF in 2020 was held online. The festival also created the <a href=\"http://regentparkfilmfestival.com/year-round/home-made-visible/\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Home Made Visible</em></a> nationwide archival project that “celebrates the everyday joys and lives of Indigenous, Black and People of Colour (IBPoC) communities often absent from Canada’s narrative.”</p>\n<h2>Film Insurance | Short-Term Film Production Insurance | Film Equipment Insurance | Film and Video Equipment Insurance</h2>\n<p>If you’re researching film festivals in Toronto, chances are that you’re a filmmaker yourself or somehow involved in the film industry.</p>\n<p>Front Row provides production and <a href=\"/sectors/e-o-insurance\" rel=\"noopener\">producer’s E&amp;O insurance</a> for: features, episodic television, docs, shorts and more. The next time you’re working on a film production, consider Front Row’s insurance policies:</p>\n<p><a href=\"https://shortshoot.frontrowinsurance.com/\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Front Row’s Short Shoot insurance policy</strong></a> (Canada) is a good option for insuring your short-term film projects. Coverage for up to 15 consecutive days of filming. The coverage is available online, 24/7. Covers rented gear, rented locations, rented props, sets, wardrobes, and more. You can get a quote in two minutes and purchase a policy 100% online. If you are in the US, please complete <a href=\"/short-term-production-insurance-for-filmmakers-us\" rel=\"noopener\">this form</a>.</p>\n<p><a href=\"https://digigearinsure.frontrowinsurance.com/\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Front Row’s DigiGear insurance policy</strong></a> (Canada) is a good option for insuring your filmmaking gear, including your film camera(s). Also available online. Quotes in 2 minutes; policies available in 5 minutes. Shop from your phone. If you are in the US, please complete <a href=\"/film-production-equipment-insurance\" rel=\"noopener\">this form</a>.</p>\n<p>In addition, film festivals should consider insuring their film screening events; <a href=\"/articles/movie-theatre-insurance-protection-for-owners\" rel=\"noopener\">movie theatre insurance</a> can be purchased online in Canada.<br><br><span style=\"font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\"><br>About</span>: Front Row Insurance Brokers Inc. is an independent insurance broker that specializes in the entertainment industry – specifically, the film industry. Front Row works hard to provide insurance protection for the lowest possible cost. Should a claim occur, Front Row works diligently with clients and insurers to expedite the payment of claims. Offices in: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Halifax, NY, Nashville and LA.</span></p>\n<h3>Related posts:</h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/best-locations-for-filming-in-the-gta\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILMING LOCATIONS IN THE GTA</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/best-film-festivals-in-new-york-city\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILM FESTIVALS IN NYC</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/best-film-festivals-in-greater-los-angeles\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILM FESTIVALS IN LA / LOS ANGELES</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/top-10-film-festivals-in-metro-vancouver\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILM FESTIVALS IN VANCOUVER</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/top-10-film-festivals-in-quebec\" rel=\"noopener\">THE TOP 10 FILM FESTIVALS IN QUEBEC</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/articles/best-film-festivals-in-atlantic-canada\" rel=\"noopener\">THE BEST FILM FESTS IN ATLANTIC CANADA</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"https://stories.frontrowinsurance.com/the-top-10-film-festivals-in-toronto/\" rel=\"noopener\">Google web story: The best film festivals in the GTA</a></li>\n</ul>","rssSummary":"<p>Let’s provide a high-level overview of some of the best film festivals in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Of course, there are other good film festivals in the area and this list isn’t comprehensive; however, the below festivals are certainly among the most notable in the GTA.</p>\n","rssSummaryFeaturedImage":"https://61352.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/Top%2010%20Film%20Festivals%20in%20Toronto/ontario-oniff-shutterstock_507578743-forweb600.jpg","scheduledUpdateDate":0,"screenshotPreviewTakenAt":1709232924675,"screenshotPreviewUrl":"https://cdn1.hubspot.net/hubshotv3/prod/e/0/5c97a2b2-094a-4edd-8862-d7e500899e7b.png","sections":{},"securityState":"NONE","siteId":null,"slug":"articles/top-10-film-festivals-in-toronto","stagedFrom":null,"state":"PUBLISHED","stateWhenDeleted":null,"styleOverrideId":null,"subcategory":"normal_blog_post","syncedWithBlogRoot":true,"tagIds":[949708709,4153051246,30486043401,32801247724,38633701909],"tagList":[{"categoryId":0,"cdnPurgeEmbargoTime":null,"contentIds":[],"cosObjectType":"TAG","created":1401901709000,"deletedAt":0,"description":"","id":949708709,"label":"Short film insurance","language":"en","name":"Short film 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The Top 10 Film Festivals in Toronto | Best Film Festivals in the GTA

Ontario film festivals: Best Film Festivals in the GTA

Let’s provide a high-level overview of some of the best film festivals in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Of course, there are other good film festivals in the area and this list isn’t comprehensive; however, the below festivals are certainly among the most notable in the GTA.

We’ll discuss (in no particular order):

  1. TIFF
  2. Hot Docs
  3. TAAFI
  4. Buffer Festival
  5. imagineNATIVE
  6. ONIFF
  7. Reelworld
  8. Inside Out
  9. Breakthroughs
  10. Regent Park


Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)

Website: https://tiff.net/

The most prominent and well-known film festival in Toronto is, of course, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Founded in 1976, many of its movies are screened at the TIFF Bell Lightbox (pictured), a modern venue housing five cinemas of various sizes.

TIFF is one of the largest and most prestigious film festivals in the world, “second only to Cannes in terms of high-profile pics, stars, and market activity,” according to Variety. In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, TIFF creatively reimagined its festival to include physical screenings at drive-ins, digital screenings and virtual red carpets.

Front Row has been a proud sponsor of TIFF.

Hot Docs Festival

Website: https://www.hotdocs.ca/ 

The Hot Docs Festival is the largest documentary festival in North America. Founded in 1993 by the Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC), Hot Docs is now recognized as a qualifying festival for the Academy Awards® in the Documentary Feature and Documentary Short Subject categories.

Members of DOC are eligible for preferred rates on production insurance through Front Row. The 2020 festival was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada; however, the festival organizers quickly pivoted to the Hot Docs at Home TV show in partnership with the CBC.

Front Row is a proud sponsor of the Hot Docs Festival.

TAAFI – Toronto's Animation Festival

Website: https://taafi.com/

The Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI) is held at the same venue as Hot Docs each year – the Ted Rogers Cinema. TAAFI is a film festival dedicated to presenting cartoons and animation.

TAAFI confers the Kaj Pindal award, which is awarded to an animator who has made a significant contribution to the art form in the past year. TAAFI also offers an industry conference with talks from directors, creators, producers and artists.

Front Row has sponsored TAAFI in the past.

Buffer Festival

Website: https://365.bufferfestival.com/

Buffer Festival is an annual showcase of YouTube video premieres, bringing the most acclaimed digital creators and their audiences together. The festival is, according to the Buffer Foundation, “the world’s largest international digital-first film festival.”

The Buffer Foundation is a not-for-profit supporting Canadian and international digital-first filmmakers through education, celebration, recognition and development opportunities with the entertainment industry. Buffer Festival 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival

Website: https://imaginenative.org/

Founded in 1998, the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is the world's largest Indigenous film and media arts festival, held annually in Toronto each October. The festival focuses on the film, video, radio and new media work of Indigenous, Aboriginal and First Peoples from around the world.

Many awards are presented at the festival, including the Audience Choice Award, Best Dramatic Feature, Best Short Drama and Best Indigenous Language Production.

Their 21st annual festival in 2020 transitioned to an online format.

Ontario International Film Festival
Ontario International Film Festival

Source: Royalty-free stock photo ID: 507578743, Shutterstock

Website: https://www.oniff.ca/

The Ontario International Film Festival (ONIFF) was founded in 2020 by not-for-profit Canada Multicultural Entertainment (CME). This film festival “gives independent filmmakers from different cultures and backgrounds the opportunity to get known, learn and get acquainted with the industry.”

The festival confers a variety of awards, including Best International Feature Film, Best Canadian Feature Film, Best Screenwriting and Best Canadian Student Film.

Reelworld Film Festival

Website: https://www.reelworld.ca/

The Reelworld Film Festival was founded in 2001 and provides professional development for Canadian racially diverse and Indigenous filmmakers and media artists. The festival's mandate is to showcase diverse work, especially work from Canadians identifying as Black, Indigenous, Asian, South Asian, Middle Eastern and/or Latinx.

In 2020, Reelworld streamed online with a 100% CAD lineup. The festival has a variety of awards, including the Trailblazer Award, Visionary Award and Award of Excellence.

Inside Out Film and Video Festival

Website: https://insideout.ca/

Founded in 1991, the Inside Out Film and Video Festival is an annual film festival that presents a program of LGBTQ-related cinema. The festival is staged in both Toronto and Ottawa.

The festival’s awards include the Audience Award for Best Feature Film, the Audience Award for Best Short Film, Best Documentary and Best Canadian Film. In response to the pandemic, Inside Out created an online exhibition of queer ephemera pulled from their archives.

Breakthroughs Film Festival (BFF)

Website: http://www.breakthroughsfilmfestival.com/

Founded in 2011, the Breakthroughs Film Festival (BFF) is dedicated exclusively to short films made by emerging women and non-binary directors.

BFF takes place annually in downtown Toronto, showcasing Canadian and international short films in all genres from emerging directors of all ages. BFF 2020 was held online.

The festival confers a number of awards, including the Audience Choice Award, the Breakthroughs Film Festival's Jury Award and Best Canadian Film.

Regent Park Film Festival (RPFF)

Website: http://regentparkfilmfestival.com/

The Regent Park Film Festival (RPFF) is a free community film festival dedicated to showcasing local and international independent films that are relevant to the Regent Park neighbourhood.

This festival aims to provide the residents of Regent Park, and beyond, with a forum for dialogue about social issues such as immigration, cultural identity and multicultural relationships.

RPFF was founded in 2003. The 18th annual RPFF in 2020 was held online. The festival also created the Home Made Visible nationwide archival project that “celebrates the everyday joys and lives of Indigenous, Black and People of Colour (IBPoC) communities often absent from Canada’s narrative.”

Film Insurance | Short-Term Film Production Insurance | Film Equipment Insurance | Film and Video Equipment Insurance

If you’re researching film festivals in Toronto, chances are that you’re a filmmaker yourself or somehow involved in the film industry.

Front Row provides production and producer’s E&O insurance for: features, episodic television, docs, shorts and more. The next time you’re working on a film production, consider Front Row’s insurance policies:

Front Row’s Short Shoot insurance policy (Canada) is a good option for insuring your short-term film projects. Coverage for up to 15 consecutive days of filming. The coverage is available online, 24/7. Covers rented gear, rented locations, rented props, sets, wardrobes, and more. You can get a quote in two minutes and purchase a policy 100% online. If you are in the US, please complete this form.

Front Row’s DigiGear insurance policy (Canada) is a good option for insuring your filmmaking gear, including your film camera(s). Also available online. Quotes in 2 minutes; policies available in 5 minutes. Shop from your phone. If you are in the US, please complete this form.

In addition, film festivals should consider insuring their film screening events; movie theatre insurance can be purchased online in Canada.


About
: Front Row Insurance Brokers Inc. is an independent insurance broker that specializes in the entertainment industry – specifically, the film industry. Front Row works hard to provide insurance protection for the lowest possible cost. Should a claim occur, Front Row works diligently with clients and insurers to expedite the payment of claims. Offices in: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Halifax, NY, Nashville and LA.

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