The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has decided to play identity politics. TIFF will be running the Media Inclusion Initiative (MII) to mandate a minimum portion of the journalists covering it belong to minority groups. “As @TIFF_NET fires staff and lurches toward bankruptcy, it’s announced stunning and brave new rules for how journalists cover TIFF films,” tweeted Quillette associate editor Jonathan Kay on Thursday. .TIFF started off by saying the MII “has worked to achieve both a more balanced, equitable, and diverse press corps, and to remove the tangible and intangible barriers that challenge equity-seeking press wishing to cover the Festival.”“This initiative provides specialized programing and peer mentorship for new and emerging journalists who meet the criteria below,” it said. “New for 2024, 75 candidates will be selected to receive media accreditation — 25 of which will be returning as MII Legacy participants (2023 cohort).”It said all MII participants will receive TIFF media accreditation and access to exclusive networking sessions. To offset costs associated with travel and accommodations, it said it would provide a stipend. It invited anyone who is non-white, a sexual minority, a woman, or has a disability to apply. While participants would have to be minorities, they have to be emerging journalists who have never been accredited at it before, not received the MII stipend in the past, and able to attend it in Toronto from September 5 to 15. Applications will close on Wednesday at 6 p.m. MST. TIFF said all people who apply to the MII should not apply for general media accreditation. “Those who meet the criteria and are accepted will be accredited accordingly,” it said. TIFF cut 12 employees across various departments in a restructuring in December. TIFF Vice-President of Public Relations and Communications Judy Lung said these employees were removed because of issues from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Hollywood strikes. The cuts came after it held a scaled back version of its annual film festival in September that did not have an abundance of celebrities show up because of the actors’ strike.
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has decided to play identity politics. TIFF will be running the Media Inclusion Initiative (MII) to mandate a minimum portion of the journalists covering it belong to minority groups. “As @TIFF_NET fires staff and lurches toward bankruptcy, it’s announced stunning and brave new rules for how journalists cover TIFF films,” tweeted Quillette associate editor Jonathan Kay on Thursday. .TIFF started off by saying the MII “has worked to achieve both a more balanced, equitable, and diverse press corps, and to remove the tangible and intangible barriers that challenge equity-seeking press wishing to cover the Festival.”“This initiative provides specialized programing and peer mentorship for new and emerging journalists who meet the criteria below,” it said. “New for 2024, 75 candidates will be selected to receive media accreditation — 25 of which will be returning as MII Legacy participants (2023 cohort).”It said all MII participants will receive TIFF media accreditation and access to exclusive networking sessions. To offset costs associated with travel and accommodations, it said it would provide a stipend. It invited anyone who is non-white, a sexual minority, a woman, or has a disability to apply. While participants would have to be minorities, they have to be emerging journalists who have never been accredited at it before, not received the MII stipend in the past, and able to attend it in Toronto from September 5 to 15. Applications will close on Wednesday at 6 p.m. MST. TIFF said all people who apply to the MII should not apply for general media accreditation. “Those who meet the criteria and are accepted will be accredited accordingly,” it said. TIFF cut 12 employees across various departments in a restructuring in December. TIFF Vice-President of Public Relations and Communications Judy Lung said these employees were removed because of issues from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Hollywood strikes. The cuts came after it held a scaled back version of its annual film festival in September that did not have an abundance of celebrities show up because of the actors’ strike.
