Sandi Leung first attended a TIFF red carpet in 2015 and could approach most of the carpet to wait for selfies with stars. In recent years, fan zones and corporate watch areas have filled the perimeter, often requiring sponsor customers or competitive access. Leung commutes daily from Markham to try to photograph celebrities. TIFF is preparing its 50th edition with high-profile premieres and returning stars like Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne Johnson. Regular attendees report that changing festival policies and sponsor demands have diluted the previously free-for-all carpet access, making encounters with celebrities more difficult and unpredictable.
Leung's observations come as TIFF, long considered the people's festival because screenings are open to the public, is preparing to host its 50th edition next week. This year's festival will see the world premieres of buzzy films like Guillermo del Toro's rendition of Frankenstein and the third instalment of the Knives Out series, and welcome stars as prolific as Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson.
That's because the free-for-all nature that used to exist around the carpet perimeters has been diluted by TIFF's constantly changing policies and its need to appease sponsors. "Every year it changes, and every year it's a cluster," said Serena Tung, a Toronto woman who has met stars from Daniel Craig to Jennifer Lopez at TIFF red carpets over the last 20 years.
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