Vision of the future

I started my fall ritual with the tenth edition of the Festival of Festivals in the mid-80’s, when the focus of the festival was up in Yorkville. As TIFF has moved farther south, a number of theatres have dropped off the map, many literally. Over the years, this has included the Towne, the Uptown, the Cumberland and others.

The biggest theatre complex at TIFF is currently the Scotiabank at John and Richmond. While the theatres are decent, the facility can be a horror show and it’s a chaotic place to navigate at the best of times. A long escalator is the main approach to the theatres and a few years ago were completely out of action for the festival. I’m not a fan, either during TIFF or as a regular patron.

In line this week, I noticed a sign bolted to the side of the building and it looks like the Scotiabank is heading to the archives, although it’s not clear when.

Although I have little love for the place, it does take 14 theatres, including one IMAX screen, out of the downtown. It will be interesting to see what impact this has on future TIFFs. The only multiplex still in the core is the one at Yonge and Dundas, which TIFF used a few years ago. It’s a decent set of screens, but the access to it as problematic as the Scotiabank and it will move the action away from King Street and the Lightbox.

Something to watch in the years to come.