Toronto Film Festival (TIFF) – featuring Yashy Murphy (Creator and Writer)
Are you a movie lover and/or film creator? Well, I am featuring Yashy Murphy, founder of Parenting To Go, Creator and Writer. I can’t pinpoint when we met on social media, but we’ve crossed paths many times over the years at media events. One meetup I recall years back is meeting her family at an Xbox event. It was the first time we had a conversation outside of social media. Since then, every time we crossed paths, we pick up where we left off. This year, Yashy is part of the TIFF press, she is also part of the Media Inclusion Initiative and I am so happy that she’s sharing her experience during the festival.
FEATURE: Yashy Murhpy
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) celebrates its 48th year of bringing film magic to the wonderful city I now call home. There’s always a buzz around the festival and as someone who absolutely loves festivals and zestfully embraces every opportunity to learn and experience new things, I can often be found roaming King Street during this festival season. As a brand marketer, TIFF was always about the parties, glitz and glam when I first landed in Canada to do my MBA. I then happen to have met (and eventually married) a film lover and unofficial movie critic (who once worked at TIFF during the early years of our courtship) so I moved from your average movie lover to someone who knows a tiny bit about filmmakers and the world of scriptwriting and cinematography. Just a tiny bit though.
TIFF is a not-for-profit cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. Please note that TIFF respects SAG-AFTRA protocols regarding the participation of its members at the Festival and while there are far fewer celebrities in attendance this year, films are still being shown. In my opinion, the films and filmmakers are in the spotlight this year and that’s a great thing (as much as I enjoy seeing celebs in our city).
Over my 18 years in Canada I would attend TIFF as the general public but this year, I had the opportunity to be a part of TIFF’s Media Inclusion Initiative which provides support and guidance to equity-seeking members of the accredited press (from around the world) who wish to attend TIFF in a professional capacity. TIFF believes it’s equally important to ensure that the press who report on, critique, and publicize films represent a diversity of perspectives. For that I’m grateful. This year I not only had access to any movie I wanted to watch, but I also had the opportunity to interview filmmakers and movie stars on the red carpet (spoiler alert – I did ZERO interviews because I just don’t think “I’m there yet”. Imposter syndrome exists and I’m working on it). I also had the opportunity to meet film critics who identify as LGBTQ+, Black, Indigenous, and/or a person of colour. Amongst this mix were also those who live with a disability and/or identify as woman, trans, non-binary, and/or two-spirit. These interactions are equally gratifying for me which is why I’ve focused on those conversations alongside attending screenings.
The TIFF23 Festival goes until September 17 and you still have a chance to place yourself in the festival by either roaming around and soaking in the red carpet buzz or by attending one the 100+ movies being shown. I love the fact that the film festival is a place where many movie producers court audiences and film buyers. What this means is that some of these amazing movies will get scooped up for public releases in the future but there’s a solid chance that some may never see the light of day again. Don’t get me wrong, each movie and documentary hand picked and vetted, so these are all great options but of course (as with anything in life) some are better than others! I usually try to avoid seeing movies that will be coming to theatres or Netflix in the next few weeks because there are many independent ones that may not be easily accessible soon. That said I’ve seen more films than usual this year thanks to the media access pass. Which is why I watched and enjoyed The Holdovers and The Woman of my Dreams (both of which will be in theatres and Netflix, respectively). I’m still working on my list of favourite movies but you should check out Rotten Tomatoes’ list of best films at TIFF23 for inspiration.
Before the festival kicks off you can purchase various movie passes (there’s even a free option for those under 25 years of age) but even now you can purchase individual tickets and even try the rush line for same day access. This website will answer most of your questions if you’re new to the TIFF processes. Check out the movies showing this weekend and see if you can purchase a ticket! Also know that free screenings will be released on Sept 17th. These are the People’s Choice award winners and the winner of the 2023 People’s Choice Award will be announced at 10:30am on Sunday, September 17. Tickets to these free screenings will be available online at 10am on Sunday, September 17.
Thanks Yashy for your insight and recommendations! It’s great to see this initiative from TIFF in its second year!
To find more information on Yashy Murphy and to follow along, you can find her here: Parenting To Go, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube.
Until the next feature,
Shine Lily XO
