Overview
Festivals are a key component of training in Film Studies, and a culminating aspect of the workplace cycle for many film industry professionals. A field trip to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)—one of the world’s top festivals—is an invaluable opportunity to network and learn about different career options in film and media.
Since 2014, Film Studies has organized annual field trips to TIFF for upper-level undergraduate and Master students during the first weekend of the festival in early September. Students have participated in Master Classes with major international filmmakers, including Hirokazu Kore-eda (Japan, winner of the 2018 Palme d’Or at Cannes), Patrizio Guzman (Chile), Richie Mehta (Canada), Bornila Chatterjee (India), and Jia Zhangke (China). In 2025, students experienced several films in the presence of their creative teams, including the world premiere of The Eyes of Ghana, directed by Academy Award-winning Canadian director, Ben Proudfoot.
In addition, students followed a private guided tour of the TIFF Film Reference Library and attended two exclusive master class sessions. The first featured Ted Evans (UK), who shared his experience and aesthetic choices as a deaf filmmaker directing an all-deaf cast, while a second director, Kahlil Joseph (USA), discussed his acclaimed experimental feature BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions, inspired by the work of pan-Africanist thinker W. E. B. DuBois. Both master classes were moderated by Carleton’s own film festival studies expert Dr. Aboubakar Sanogo.
The rare opportunity of seeing films that are not usually released in Canada and of participating in meetings and workshops with experienced filmmakers and archivists gives students a unique perspective on national and transnational film culture. Film Studies at Carleton has a global focus, and this trip enables students to apply what they learn in class to new developments and to better understand globalization and internationalization in the media.
The Background
The cost of travel to Toronto has risen, putting our special field trip to TIFF out of reach of the Film Studies annual budget and making it impossible for some students to participate.
Your generosity will enable all Carleton Film Studies students to continue experiencing and participating in the process of how the future of global film and media is defined. We are therefore seeking your support to help make this field trip more financially accessible to students from all socio-economic backgrounds.
This field trip is an invaluable opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the film industry by building meaningful connections with filmmakers around the world and experiencing the art of filmmaking firsthand. Experiencing films together at a festival and meeting filmmakers and other industry professionals from other countries enhances the student experience and gives students unique insight into creative industries and artistic practices. This type of intercultural and experiential learning enhances the academic journey by providing students with new perspectives, creative outlets, and elevating knowledge and skills gained in the classroom.
Film festivals are industry venues that mobilize skills and knowledge about cinema across a range of profitable occupations. As burgeoning film scholars and industry professionals, students in Film Studies programs gain unique insights by being directly involved in festivals, which provide intersecting career opportunities.
The Rollout
The costs of attending TIFF for three days include transportation, accommodation in Toronto, and student festival passes (students cover their own meals). We aim to cover as great a proportion of these expenses as possible in order to reduce financial barriers. Between 8 and 12 students take part in this field trip each year. The funds will be used to subsidize the student’s TIFF trip, so that they will get a valuable experience that will greatly enhance their time as a student at Carleton.
Participants will travel by train to Toronto with faculty mentors and attend the festival for three days. After the event, attendees will write a report and present their experiences to student peers at one of our Film Friday monthly events.
The TIFF trip is open to all fourth-year undergraduate students in Film Studies programs. MA students join the trip to instil a mentoring dynamic and esprit de corps across academic levels. Students who want to attend TIFF submit a letter of intent. Your support will ensure that this field trip remains inclusive and financially accessible to students from all socio-economic backgrounds.
The Impact
After a hiatus caused by the global pandemic, Film Studies resumed its annual field trip to TIFF in 2024 which was a resounding success. Following this hugely popular experience, which then became threatened by economic instability and subsequent cuts in academic funding, students took it upon themselves to call for a consolidation of Carleton’s participation at TIFF. Without prompting, Film Studies students circulated a unanimously positive feedback poll about the Carleton field trip to TIFF in order to communicate their attachment to this initiative to the department. Moreover, in the spring of 2025, students spearheaded a public screening event to raise additional funds to ensure that the field trip could take place. This energetic response on behalf of students strengthened collegiality among peers and across graduate and undergraduate levels. It also emboldened faculty to continue their efforts to secure funds for the annual event. As a result, the Film Studies unit is working alongside its student body to offer new masterclasses at TIFF in 2026 and to continue integrating the initiative into its permanent professionalization activities. We now seek your support in making this possible.