According to Toronto: Directed by Gabe Polsky

What I miss most about not being on TIFF during the pandemic is…
TIFF has its own unique energy, in a nutshell: it has the ability to watch quality films and documentaries, large audiences/audiences, significant film business, amazing organization and execution.

What I don’t miss about TIFF is…
The rush to see the film and the exhibition is full.

My “only in Toronto” moment is…
Wayne Gretzky and his family appeared at the premiere of my movie Red Army. He came backstage after the premiere and we had a good chat. It was a big moment for me.

What I miss most about Toronto as a city is…
People are more cheerful and friendly and like to have fun, just like I grew up in Chicago.

The biggest challenge for work festivals in the Covid era is…
I was lucky to have the last movie in TIFF, red penguins, It was just before the pandemic so I didn’t have to navigate through it. But I imagine it must have been difficult to create the hype necessary for a movie release without a real audience.

The only place I must visit while in Toronto is…
I like to roam and make strange discoveries.

The place you avoid during the festival is…
Places where the industry is talked about non-stop. I like movies and parties, but keeping my job is good for me.

My favorite Canadian director/talent is (and why)…
There are many, many talented creatives out of Canada: The Weeknd is a genius, Ryan Gosling knows the secret to attracting people, David Cronenberg created. oriental promisesDenis Villeneuve did HitmanAnd James Cameron really put Schwarzenegger’s soul Terminator lots of fun and
– A woman grew up there.

The most Canadian thing about Toronto is…
hockey

The one thing I won’t travel without (apart from my phone) is…
Headphones

In Toronto you should always…
be one

In Toronto you should never…
Try to imitate Canadians and/or talk about how they are different from Americans.