The Canadian International Television Festival will expand to three days and now run from Friday, November 15 to Sunday, November 17 at Toronto’s TIFF Bell Lightbox, it was announced today. Additionally, it was confirmed that tickets to most events at Canada’s first and only public television festival will be free, due to the generous support of the Canada Media Fund, Bell Media, and the Canadian Media Production Association. Advance single tickets for the CITF will be made available at no cost (except for a small handling charge) in early November. More programming and scheduling information about the festival will be announced shortly.
David Heath, Board Member of the non-profit CITF said, “Being able to expand to three days in the first year of the festival is due to the dedication and foresight of our three original supporters. As a forum for networking and exchanging ideas -- and for screening great shows -- the CITF will be now more accessible to students, fans, and the local television industry workforce.”
It was also announced today that the national #EyeOnCanada (#VueSurleCanada) initiative from the CMF, CMPA, and Telefilm will be the focus of the first day of the CITF.
“Any professional involved in the marketing of Canadian-made television will want to attend Friday’s Eye on Canada sessions. Eye on Canada has quickly grown into a true international strategy and brand which promotes Canadian content and talent to audiences everywhere,” said CITF Board Member John Galway. “Furthermore, we are proud to associate Eye on Canada with the entire festival, and we aim to help our partners expand it from an industry-only initiative to one which is embraced by the public as well”.
The Canadian International Television Festival Inc. is a new social enterprise and the first television showcase festival in Canada to provide a familiar platform for the public, journalists, broadcasting students, advertisers, and the industry to discover and enjoy new and returning English and French-language Canadian programs. The CITF also salutes the diversity of the global television community, in acknowledgement of Canada's expanding presence internationally.