The Toronto International Film Festival says it has a deal with Rogers to become its new presenting sponsor.
The telecommunications firm’s support of the annual event comes about a year after TIFF lost a sponsorship deal it had with longtime supporter and BCE Inc. subsidiary Bell.
Rogers spokesperson Sarah Schmidt says her company’s deal is a one-year sponsorship encompassing the festival but not TIFF’s year-round activities, which Bell supported. She declined to share the financial terms of the agreement.
As part of the deal, Rogers will back TIFF’s annual People’s Choice Awards and, along with the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto, host a festival kickoff event in Yorkville on Sept. 3. The partnership will also give Rogers customers access to VIP experiences like festival screenings.
The sponsorship announcement comes about a month before TIFF launches its 49th festival on Sept. 5.
The film community will be keenly watching TIFF this year to see whether it rebounds from COVID-19 measures and a pair of Hollywood strikes that impacted audience numbers and the level of star power the event has seen in recent years.