THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 35 SEPTEMBER 4, 2019
like [Soderbergh’s Netflix title]
The Laundromat, are two
examples of directors — one
from a traditional distributor
and the other from a stream-
ing service — where we’re
interested in the film and the
filmmakers. We’re aware that
the theatrical experience needs
to be maintained. But we don’t
discriminate in terms of seeking
films from one kind of source
or another.
VICENTE We’re platform agnostic.Last year, you made a diversity
push with the media by ensuring
that about 20 percent of the fest’s
attending journalists were from
diverse backgrounds. What did you
learn from that?
VICENTE We’ll continue with
the initiative, and are adding a
mentorship element where we
select 10 of those writers and
pair them with 10 film writers
[editor’s note: THR is participating
in this program], so that on top of
giving them access, we’re mak-
ing it a learning experience with
professionals.
BAILEY We’ve been engaged
with what’s now considered
diversity for a long time. People
are talking a lot more about what
stories we’re seeing onscreen
and what stories we aren’t seeing
onscreen. Having a more diverse
press corps helps with that, and
engaging with the full diversity
of Toronto, which is remarkable,
is an advantage we have over
every other festival. There’s no
other large festival that exists
with this audience that Toronto
has. And the filmmakers wel-
come it.Are you saying that Toronto’s
diversity influences your selection
process?
BAILEY It depends. We’re focused
on ensuring the lineup we put
together every year reflects what
we love in the films we see out
there. Having a programming
team that’s half women makes
a difference. We have different
conversations about the films we
see. This isn’t something we need
to force.
VICENTE The curation of the
festival always has this in mind
— that you’re programming for
the various sections of the city.Other fests have programmed new
films from Roman Polanski and
Nate Parker. Do you intentionally
avoid certain films or filmmakers
who you know will be controversial?
BAILEY The good thing about our
programming process is we get
to talk about the films we have
selected, and we don’t talk about
the films that we haven’t selected.You debuted Louis C.K.’s secret film
I Love You, Daddy in 2017, before
he admitted to sexual misconduct.
If Louis C.K. were to call you again
with another film, would you con-
sider it for TIFF?
BAILEY It’s a great question that I
haven’t had to face in this case. So
I don’t know. Obviously a lot more
would go into the decision than it
did back then, when I wasn’t aware
of what came out later. It wasn’t a
part of the decision then, and I’d
probably have to make another
decision now. But I don’t know.
VICENTE It’s case by case.Interview edited for length
and clarity.and audiences to take in every-
thing during the first weekend.
CAMERON BAILEY It’s impossible
to see everything. But that’s OK.
Festivals are opportunities to
make those kinds of choices. We
want to provide that choice, but
we don’t want it to be so hectic
that people feel overwhelmed. It
should feel like you’re at a really
beautiful dinner where you have a
taste of everything, but not gorg-
ing at a trough.Last year you said around 50 mov-
ies at Toronto found no distribution
beyond the festival circuit. How is
TIFF helping change that?
VICENTE While some of the films
might not get distribution in
North America, there are incred-
ibly talented filmmakers who
might get a job or their next
project because of that film. And
we have a good track record for
discovery of international talent.
Sometimes it might not be the
film that sells, but you’re helping
to build those careers.
BAILEY There’s many examples of
that. Taika Waititi was making
indie films from New Zealand and
playing at festivals and getting
critical notice, but his new film,
Jojo Rabbit, comes to us from
Fox Searchlight. He is now fully
established as one of the top film-
makers in the world and he has
every opportunity to make films
at the budgets he wants, which is
great. But that begins with those
small, independent films from
remote territories.Why has TIFF embraced Netflix
and the streamers more than any
other major festival?
BAILEY We follow the talent. A
film like Jojo Rabbit, or a great film“What we want to
do is make sure
that we are showing
films that we’re
personally excited
about and can
stand behind,” says
Bailey, who was
photographed with
Vicente on Aug. 8
in the TIFF offices.RÉSUMÉ
CURRENT TITLES
Co-heads, The Toronto
International Film Festival
PREVIOUS JOBS
Bailey: Film critic
Vicente: Independent
film producer
BIG HIT
Green Book, which went
on to win the best picture
Oscar in February after
world premiering at TIFF.The 1999
Vietnamese drama
Three Seasons was
produced by Vicente.
“It was an adventure
at every stage,”
she says.
Bailey was
honored last year
with France’s
Chevalier de l’Ordre
des Arts et Lettres
for TIFF’s support of
French cinema.Vicente executive
produced Lebanese
director Nadine
Labaki’s Capernaum,
which was nominated
for a foreign-
language Oscar
in 2018.A gift to Bailey
from his wife: “It’s
by Kristina Guison,” he
says, “a Toronto
artist who manipulates
metal, sometimes
by burying it
underground.”This Made
in NY award was
given to Vicente
by then-mayor
Michael Bloomberg
for her contribution
to the city’s film
industry.