Toronto International Film Festival

From dance parties to thought-provoking panels and celebrations of Black excellence, the University of Toronto is hosting a wide array of events across the three campuses to mark Black History Month.

Members of the U of T community will have the chance to come together to learn, reflect, share stories, have fun and engage in self-care at conferences, cultural events and celebrations throughout February.

Rounding out the calendar is the annual Black History Month Luncheon, which is being held in-person and will spotlight Toronto International Film Festival CEO Cameron Bailey.

Here’s a sampling of the events on offer throughout the month.

Feb 1. – Feb. 4

BE-STEMM 2023 Conference

The Canadian Black Scientists Network is hosting a four-day virtual conference that brings together researchers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Medicine and Health (STEMM). The agenda includes talks by leading Black scholars across disciplines, networking sessions and opportunities to mentor the next generation of scientists.

Feb. 1

Ghetto Fabulous: Black Y2K Party

Time to pull out your finest threads from the 1990s and 2000s for this throwback bash, hosted by the Black Students’ Association at U of T, reclaiming the word “ghetto” and celebrating the Black subculture of the era.

Feb. 2 – Feb. 3

Re/Viewing, Re/Visioning, and Re/Imagining Black Canada Symposium

This two-day symposium, co-hosted by U of T and York University, will provide a forum for Canadian and American scholars to reckon with themes raised in the recent volume Unsettling the Great White North: Black Canadian History, published by University of Toronto Press. The event will engage participants in the latest debates, research and theories in Black Canadian history/studies to better understand how scholarship has evolved to offer a more expansive and nuanced view of Black Canadian experiences.

Feb. 4

Black Excellence Kiki Ball

You better bring your A game to this sports-themed kiki at U of T's Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport. Guests can warm up with a beginner-friendly vogue dance workshop led by Legendary House Mother Snoopy of the Disney Kiki House. Then get ready for a ballroom battle celebrating game-changing Black athletes such as Colin Kaepernick, Simone Biles and Venus and Serena Williams.

Feb. 6

Black History Month Symposium – What Has Changed: The Role of Attitudinal Barriers to Advancing Black Inclusion

Hosted by the Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office, this event will examine attitudinal barriers that contribute to anti-Black racism in post-secondary environments and discuss strategies to address this systemic problem. It includes a performance by U of T alumna Michelle Bookal and opening remarks by Njoki Wane, chair of the department of social justice education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), and Charmaine Williams, dean of the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. Panellists include: Cherilyn Scobie Edwards, director of the Equity Diversity and Inclusion Office at U of T Scarborough; Andrew Campbell, assistant professor at OISE; Nancy Simms, adjunct professor at the Faculty of Law; and Teeanna Munro, project co-ordinator in the Black Perspectives Office at Concordia University.

Feb. 8

Kickoff Panel for Black Histories Wikipedia & Wikidata Edit-a-thon

This is your chance to contribute to Wikipedia through a series editing sessions focused on Black histories. The events are co-organized by U of T and other universities in collaboration with the Toronto Public Library. Funké Aladejebi, an assistant professor in the department of history in the Faculty of Arts & Science, moderates the kickoff panel featuring multidisciplinary artist Debbie Ebanks Schlums and Jonsaba Jabbi, co-founder of Building A Black Archive.

Feb. 9

Tastes of Culture 2022-23: African Perspective

U of T Mississauga’s International Education Centre and Hart House co-present this virtual cooking session that will bring the tastes of Ghana to your home kitchen. Chef Kwame Owusu-Afriyie Nsafoah will show how to make stewed black-eyed peas and krakro (plantain fritters) to be paired with jollof rice and stuffed into a burrito.

Feb. 9

The Intersecting Identities that Inspire Our Excellence

The Dalla Lana School of Public Health hosts a celebration of Black leaders across a range of fields for a discussion on how their intersecting identities inform their work. Panellists include: Toronto Argonauts linebacker Hénoc Muamba; Celina Caesar-Chavannes, a former MP and business consultant; Jason Faulkner, owner and clothing designer of Spread Love; Stella Djulus, visual artist and founder of Arts by Stella; and Kevin Allwood, owner of Allwood MKRT & KaSpace Café.

Feb. 10

Rest as Resistance

This session, hosted by Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office, invites Black participants to slow down and engage in community care. After starting the session with gentle meditation and movement, Yamikani Msosa will facilitate a dialogue about how both rest and action can be forms of resistance in the fight against anti-Black racism.

Feb. 13

Pop-Up Barbershop

Get a free trim, fade or braid while testing your hip-hop knowledge at this pop-up hosted by Hart House Hip Hop Education in partnership with beauty services finder Fyyne, co-founded by Jeff Fasegha, a U of T graduate and a member of the of the Black Founders Network.

Feb. 15

Our Stories: Black History Month

Learn from the lived experiences of three U of T students as they share their stories at this virtual event co hosted by U of T Scarborough’s International Student Centre, U of T Mississauga’s International Education Centre and the St. George Centre for International Experience.

Feb. 16

Black Health Leaders Recognition Ceremony

The Dalla Lana School of Public Health hosts its inaugural recognition ceremony celebrating Black leaders in Toronto’s public health and health systems. This year’s recipients are: Fatimah Jackson-Best, project manager at the Black Health Alliance and assistant professor at McMaster University; Cynthia Damba, director of health analytics at Ontario Health, Toronto Region; and Jacqueline Silvera, director of inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility and anti-racism with the University of Health Network.

Feb. 17

Hip Hop Family Skate Day

Skaters of all ages are invited to hit the ice at Varsity Arena and glide along to the sounds of hip-hop, R&B and Afrobeats curated by DJ Mel Boogie. Professional figure skaters Chloe Panetta and Kieran Thrasher will be on hand to offer tips and perform a routine.

Feb. 22

Black Ice: Film Screening and Panel Discussion

U of T's Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE), Innis College and the Cinema Studies Institute present a special screening of Black Ice, an acclaimed documentary tracing the history of anti-Black racism in hockey, from the 19th century to the present-day. Director Hubert Davis will join KPE faculty members Janelle Joseph and Simon Darnell for a discussion of the film, which counts LeBron James, Drake and Maverick Carter as executive producers.

Feb. 23

Panel Discussion on Black-Led Community Space

Isaac Olowolafe Jr. of the Dream Legacy Foundation, Amina Mohamed of the Somali Centre for Culture and Recreation and Alica Hall of Nia Centre for the Arts engage in conversation about the need for community spaces built by and for Black communities. The event – sponsored by the Infrastructure Institute at U of T’s School of Cities and co-hosted by the Somali Centre for Culture and Recreation – comes on the heels of a joint report examining gaps in public investment in and access to Black-led social infrastructure in Toronto.

(photo by Johnny Guatto)

Feb. 24

21st Annual Black History Month Luncheon

TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey is set to give the keynote address at this year’s celebration of Black excellence, continuing a more than two-decade-long tradition that has become Black History Month’s marquee event at the university. Community members will come together at Hart House and be treated to delicious food, captivating speakers and dynamic performances.

Feb. 25

Future Black Business Leaders Conference

Black business leaders will share their tips for success with the next generation of power players at this conference hosted by the Rotman School of Management. Attendees will have the chance to connect with top industry professionals and learn more about Rotman’s scholarships and awards for future Black leaders.

Feb. 28

Lecture/Recital with Beau Dixon

Actor, musician and playwright Beau Dixon returns to U of T to discuss his creation and curation of the Stratford Festival’s Freedom Cabaret 2.0: How Black Music Shaped the Dream of America. The event will also feature performances by Dixon and singers from the Faculty of Music.

Feb. 28

The Self-Care Fair

There are plenty of ways to decompress at this Hart House event aimed at encouraging self-care for Black students. Relaxing activities include painting, aromatherapy ball-making, guided meditation, massages and board games.

U of T's Centre for the Study of Korea takes centre stage with South Korean superstars at TIFF

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 18:53:21 +0000

U of T's Centre for the Study of Korea takes centre stage with South Korean superstars at TIFF

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 09/14/2022 - 14:53

Cutline

Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung attend the screening of "Hunt" during the 75th-annual Cannes Film Festival (photo by Joe Maher/Getty Images)

Topic

Global Lens

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Faculty of Arts & Science

Toronto International Film Festival

The Centre for the Study of Korea – housed at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy’s Asian Institute – is taking centre stage at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this week as the University of Toronto scholars Michelle Cho, Hae Yeon Choo and Juwon Kim take part in conversations about South Korean film and popular culture.

Michelle Cho

Cho, an assistant professor of East Asian popular cultures and cinema studies in the department of East Asian Studies in the Faculty of Arts & Science who teaches courses on Korean film, media and popular culture, will moderate a discussion on Sept. 16 with two South Korean superstars: Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung.

Lee is best known for his work in Squid Game (2021), Assassination (2015) and Thieves (2012), and directs and stars in Hunt, which is being shown at this year’s festival. Jung, meanwhile, is featured in Hunt and his directorial debut, A Man of Reason, is also showing at TIFF. He is known for his work in blockbuster films such as Steel Rain (2017), Cold Eyes (2013), and The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008).

Cho, an expert in South Korean cinema and global media, said she is looking forward to leading a conversation with Lee and Jung about their careers, their friendship and the success of Korean filmmakers at home and internationally – just days after Lee won an Emmy for best lead actor in a drama series for his role in Squid Game.

“TIFF invited six Korean films this year, following on the huge success of ‘Summer of Seoul,’ a Korean film series hosted by the TIFF Lightbox Cinematheque this past summer,” Cho said. “I’m really fortunate that my research allows me to be a part of public events like this, which are only possible because of how much interest there is, locally, in cultural content from South Korea.”

Choo, director of the Centre for the Study of Korea and an associate professor of sociology at U of T Mississauga, and Kim, a PhD student in East Asian studies, will also be taking part in the TIFF event and providing translation.

“An event like this is a prime example of what our centre strives to do – to support scholarship on Korea and make it meaningful for our communities in Toronto and beyond,” Choo said. “Korean cinema and other cultural creations are having a moment across the globe, which calls for an informed analysis based on in-depth knowledge of Korean culture, history, and society.

“Personally I grew up watching Lee Jung-Jae and Jung Woo-Sung from my teenage years and am excited to see them up close as an interpreter, together with Juwon Kim, a PhD student in East Asian Studies.”

Cultural critic and Indigenous rights advocate Jesse Wente on turning your passion into your career

noreen.rasbach — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 17:02:28 +0000

Cultural critic and Indigenous rights advocate Jesse Wente on turning your passion into your career

noreen.rasbach Fri, 02/02/2018 - 12:02

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Cultural critic and Indigenous rights advocate Jesse Wente is the new director of Canada’s Indigenous Screen Office (photo by Jackie Shapiro)

Topic

Faculty of Arts & Science

Humanities

Indigenous

Innis College

Toronto International Film Festival

For Jesse Wente, the cultural critic and Indigenous rights advocate, giving back to the community is a top priority.

"In addition to being the first member of my Ojibwe family to attend university and the first Indigenous student to graduate from cinema studies, I was the first nationally syndicated Indigenous columnist," he says. "I say this because I feel strongly that the only reason being first matters is so you can open doors wide enough for numbers two to infinity to come through."

Wente’s family comes from Chicago and the Serpent River First Nation in Ontario. He is the longtime film and pop culture critic at CBC Radio’s Metro Morning, and has had a long association with the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where until recently he was director of film programs at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. There he curated the landmark film program First Peoples Cinema: 1,500 Nations, One Tradition and its companion gallery exhibition, Home on Native Land.

He has also been a film programmer for TIFF and for the imagineNATIVE Film and Media Festival. An Aboriginal arts advocate and passionate spokesperson for inclusion, Wente served as president of Native Earth Performing Arts, Canada’s oldest Indigenous performing arts company.

In 2017, he was appointed to the Canada Council for the Arts. Last month, he was appointed director of Canada’s Indigenous Screen Office. Wente graduated with an honours bachelor's degree in cinema studies from U of T in 1996.

Arts & Science spoke with Wente at the 2018 Next Steps Conference, an intensive two-day career exploration, education and networking conference for students in the Faculty of Arts & Science, recent graduates and alumni, where he delivered the keynote about pursuing one’s passion and turning it into a career.

What ignited your passion for film?

Star Wars – it was 1977, and that was the first movie I saw. It turned into an obsession.

Why did you choose to study cinema at U of T?

My intention was to become a filmmaker, but first I wanted to understand what makes a good movie. I enrolled in the cinema studies program at Innis College to gain skills in critical thinking and how to express critical thinking. After that I had planned to go to Humber College to get my hands on filmmaking equipment – remember this was the pre-digital era. I never did.

Where did your programming career start?

I ran the Victoria College Film Society with a friend. They gave me free reign in the facilities and a budget to rent prints. We blew our entire budget screening Superfly and Shaft. We showed Superfly out of sequence – we started with reel 3 – and no one noticed! We ended up programming the rest of the year using films from the U of T collection. That’s where my programming career really started.

What was the best thing that happened to you at U of T?

Meeting my wife, Julie (Ouellon-Wente). We’ve been together 24 years. She’s been my greatest champion; we’re partners in life. I couldn’t have done what I did without her – including landing my first job.

So how did you land your first job after graduation?

In between graduating from U of T and heading to Humber, I needed a job. It was Julie who pointed out that there was an internship at CBC Radio that was funded by the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation (now Indspire). Radio seemed the furthest thing from movies, and an odd choice for me. As my mom has said, as a teenager, I didn’t speak for seven years. I was the associate producer for radio syndication. Then while I was there, they asked me to fill in as the film critic for Metro Morning. So while Andy Barrie, who was the host, would read the Globe and Mail, I got paid for saying how films sucked. I thought it was just going to be a temporary gig, but 21 years later I’m still working at the CBC.

Basically, I was in the right place at the right time, and I took a job I didn’t want – I didn’t want to be a film critic but a filmmaker. After that, I ended up jumping around a lot on short-term contracts, until finally I got a real job as associate producer at the Arts Report with Michael Crabbe, and I worked with Eleanor Wachtel on her show, The Arts Today.

I have to say, the fact that the internship was funded by the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation was significant. My mother made it very clear to me that it came with a responsibility. She instilled in me the idea of reciprocity: to never take anything without giving something in return. I always had in my mind, how will I pay back to the community?

And what was your answer?

As soon as I could, I started volunteering on boards. There was an incredible need for Indigenous representation at the time, even on the boards of Indigenous organizations. I became the president of the board of a theatre company, even though I didn’t understand plays. The job was to manage the company, craft the strategy, deal with the finances, hire the staff. And I was able to build a career that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to because I gained complementary skills through volunteering. I was able to piece everything together to present a fuller package that made me a great candidate for a job – like running a movie theatre at TIFF.

But I feel that my time to give back is greatest now. I have built a big enough career in the mainstream sector. I have access to places that most people don’t. In addition to being the first member of my Ojibwe family to attend university and the first Indigenous student to graduate from cinema studies, I was the first nationally syndicated Indigenous columnist. I say this because I feel strongly that the only reason being first matters is so you can open doors wide enough for numbers two to infinity to come through.

What’s made you so successful at being a film commentator?

I’m an insomniac. I can watch 1,500 movies a year.

You’ve had a dream career, not just dream jobs. What is your advice to students and young alumni as they consider their post-university future?

Understand what you are passionate about, and be prepared for it to change as your life changes and as you get more experience. Don’t commit yourself to a single path. Experiment a bit, and do not be afraid of risk, of disruption. That way you can put yourself in a position for a job you didn’t even know was a job.

Be true to who you are and the life you want to lead. Know what you value, what is close to your heart. Embrace change, because it’s constant and you shouldn’t fear it as long as you stay true to yourself.

Hold to that and your happiness quotient may increase. Happiness can be a real struggle – I’m not a happy person; it has been a journey for me to find a balance with the whole of my life. But the footprints we leave will be more impactful if we’re happy.

Thinking back on your extraordinary career, what was one of the most meaningful or transformative moments for you?

There are so many. Some that are trivial that I will nevertheless cherish forever. But to be honest, it was that five minutes on the air talking about cultural appropriation with Matt Galloway. It was the most personal piece of radio I’d ever done, and it changed my life. Some for the bad, but mostly for the good. And I’ve only come to understand that because of what people who were listening to the show have told me – not the ones, obviously, who sent death threats. I thought, if my community was pleased, then it was worth whatever I had to go through. I admit I have a conflicted relationship with that moment.

Last year, you were appointed member of the board of the Canada Council for the Arts. What do you hope to achieve during your tenure?

It’s an exclusive space – the largest arts funding body in the country – and being granted access to it will enable me to speak truth to power, to try to influence culture. My goal is to be a voice in the room, to be an advocate for Indigenous people and Indigenous sovereignty. That’s what I’m in it for – not to pad my CV, but culture change. Culture change is what will allow some of the other changes that need to happen to happen.

And to be humble about why I’m there. It’s not about what I want to accomplish, but about what I can accomplish on behalf of others. I sit in a room with very powerful people who can make change. That’s also why I spoke tonight at the Next Steps Conference. Because someone in that audience has the capacity to make change, and I want to encourage that.

As an Indigenous rights and Aboriginal arts advocate, what are your thoughts on how can we as individuals and a society can get better at fostering the kind of change we need?

Storytelling is key. We struggle with a storytelling problem. With Indigenous people, the theft of our stories is inextricably linked to the theft of our land, the theft of our bodies. I think it’s harder to accept the theft if you actually know the people – and you get to know them through storytelling. A function of that is who gets to tell those stories.

After all, you can’t expect society to change if we have the same storytellers. In Canada, we need to empower Indigenous people to tell Indigenous stories. Doing so will ultimately create the conditions by which misrepresentation is simply unacceptable.

It’s hard in Canada to have a real discussion about the return of Indigenous land without a lot of storytelling before that to get Canadians to a point where they understand why that’s important.

And frankly, I think we’re getting there quite rapidly. Certainly in Canada, there have been some very constructive debates, putting to rest some old ideas. I think there’s now a big appetite now to hear these stories.

You believe that inclusion is a benchmark and pathway to success. What should organizations look at for increasing inclusion and diversity?

If you have any consciousness of global migration and demographics, you will understand that your customers 10 to 15 years from now, or your employees, or whomever you’re serving, are unlikely to come from the same places as those you have today. And if you’re not already thinking about that and being ahead of the curve, then you’re behind it. So organizations, businesses, institutions all have to understand that the communities that are feeding your organization are changing faster than you are reacting to that change.

Inclusion is the better word. And you just have to start. The most effective way is to hire differently. As a friend of mine, Ry Moran (director of the University of Manitoba’s National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation), says, nature is diverse. You look at a forest, and there’s not just one kind of plant or tree. And if you come across an area that has only one type, then that’s where there’s a problem. Diversity is the natural order of things. It’s the same in a forest, a city, a country. People, ideas, energies, access to communities – if you’re not diversifying your audiences that could be because you are not diversifying your staff. And if you’re resisting diversity, you’re resisting the natural order.

What is the role of leadership in this context?

Leaders don’t acknowledge what they don’t know often enough. One of the real keys to leadership is understanding what you don’t know, who you don’t know, where you don’t know, and surrounding yourself with people who do know those things. You’ll have a much better organization and success if you do it that way. And that means you have to be inclusive; you have to figure out who’s not in the room, because that’s who you’re not going to serve.

So how do you view your role as a leader in Indigenous rights advocacy in Canada?

Leader? I wouldn’t say I’m a leader. It’s my obligation to do these things. I’ve led a privileged life and I think privilege is only worth having if you extend it beyond yourself and see it as a pathway to give back as much as you can.

Munk School of Global Affairs teams with TIFF for sixth annual speaker series

rasbachn — Thu, 07 Sep 2017 19:49:46 +0000

Munk School of Global Affairs teams with TIFF for sixth annual speaker series

rasbachn Thu, 09/07/2017 - 15:49

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Gael Morel, the director of "Catch the Wind," will appear with Joseph Wong, professor of innovation at the Munk School of Global Affairs, for a discussion about the film as part of the TIFF Speaker Series.

Topic

City & Culture

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Toronto International Film Festival

The University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs and the Toronto International Film Festival, which begins today, are partnering for a sixth year to present the TIFF Speaker Series. This series offers audiences the opportunity to interact with filmmakers and scholars in extended discussions following each film’s second public screening.

“TIFF is really Toronto at its very best, and it totally re-engages me with what makes the city great,” says Robert Austin, associate professor at the Munk School’s Centre for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, who is participating in the series for the fourth time this year.

Austin will join director Hüseyin Tabak in discussing the German film The Legend of the Ugly King. “Film is a big part of my teaching so the chance to talk with a director and the public more generally is exceptional. I have already hosted discussions about truly powerful films that tell important stories about what is happening in Europe right now. This year’s film is definitely one of those.”

In The Legend of the Ugly King, Tabak explores the legacy of Yilmaz Güney – political dissident, convicted murderer and visionary Kurdish filmmaker – who directed the 1982 Palme d’Or–winning Yol from inside prison and died in exile just two years later.

"The Legend of the Ugly King" explores the legacy of Yilmaz Güney, who directed the film Yol from inside prison.

In addition to Austin, other featured Munk School speakers at the festival include:

Aisha Ahmad, assistant professor of political science at U of T Scarborough and co-director of the Munk School’s Islam and Global Affairs Initiative, will join Iraqi-Dutch filmmaker Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji in a Q&A following the screening of his film, The Journey.

Al-Daradji returns to the festival with this tense and provocative political meditation about a would-be suicide bomber and the fast-talking train station attendant she takes hostage.

Joseph Wong, professor of innovation at the Munk School and professor of political science at U of T's Faculty of Arts & Science, will join French actor-director Gaël Morel for a Q&A after his film, Catch the Wind.

A middle-aged factory worker’s life is upended when she follows her employer to Morocco, in the latest film from Morel.

Teresa Kramarz, director of the Munk One first-year foundation program, will take the stage with filmmakers Anjali Nayar and Hawa Essuman to discuss Silas, their latest documentary.

Nayar and Essuman profile the life and journey of Liberian activist Silas Siakor, a tireless crusader against illegal logging and a symbol of resistance for a new generation.

Munk School’s founding director Janice Gross Stein will join director Matan Yair in discussing his documentary Scaffolding.

Torn between the teachings of his charismatic literature teacher and the expectations of his brash workman father, 17-year-old Asher must decide what sort of man he will become in Yair’s feature debut.

The 42nd Toronto International Film Festival runs to Sept. 17.

#UofTGrad16: Film festival CEO Piers Handling

lavende4 — Tue, 14 Jun 2016 14:24:36 +0000

#UofTGrad16: Film festival CEO Piers Handling lavende4 Tue, 06/14/2016 - 10:24

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Piers Handling (centre, facing camera) at Convocation (Lisa Sakulensky photo)

Jennifer Robinson

Author legacy

Jennifer Robinson

Topic

Toronto International Film Festival

The man in charge of one of the world’s most important film festivals is thrilled to receive an honorary degree from the University of Toronto, which he says played a pivotal role in helping launch the filmmaking industry in English Canada.

Norman Jewison. David Cronenberg. Atom Egoyan. Don Owen. All huge names in Canadian cinema and all were shaped by their experiences as students at U of T, Piers Handling told fellow graduates in a rousing speech today.

The connection even extends to the brutalist architecture of the University of Toronto Scarborough having its close up in two Cronenberg features: 1969’s Stereo and 1970’s Crimes of the Future. He really started something since the location continues to draw TV and film crews to this day.

It’s an honour to be celebrated in my home city and “to feel I am a part of this illustrious cinematic history” at U of T, said Handling, who described himself as a self-educated cinephile who craves intelligent, kinetic films.

The director and chief executive officer of TIFF, the Toronto International Film Festival, since 1994 was recognized with a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa for his work transforming the way people see the world through film and in placing Hollywood North on the map as the place to premiere the biggest and best new films from just down the street and around the world.

In his convocation address, Handling said he’s also been honoured with the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, France’s highest cultural insignia. “Don’t you love the French?” he joked with the audience of new graduates and proud parents, adding he was sure to ask them if any rights or privileges came with the honour.

“They said I can ride a horse into any church in France. I haven’t actually done it yet... but I look forward to the rights and privileges that come from today’s honour.”

Later in the day at an intimate Q&A with a group of 20 film studies students at Innis College, Handling explained the true purpose of the festival, which now has a $44-million annual operating budget and employs 200 full-time staff in its 40^th year. “We’re trying to create a more informed citizenry and ultimately a more curious one.”

When asked how he selects films for the film festival, he said he can tell “in the first five minutes the first three shots” if the filmmaker has hit the mark.

“You can feel the authority of the filmmaker also immediately,” he said, adding that commitment, passion, imagination and creativity are key.The festival is put together in three months but first he and other selection committee members must plow through an estimated 5,000 films before determining their roster. Many of those films are unsolicited, just like Michael Moore’s seminal film Roger & Me was back in 1989.

“He made it clear. He had a movie,” Handling recalled. “He was a brilliant marketer. He’s a talker, he’s a charmer and he clearly has a point of view.”

That movie made it into the festival because of a call he made to a 21-year-old student on contract for the summer in their office. That call led to a word of mouth campaign that made everyone want to see it, Handling said.

Squeezed in between film screenings and attending other film festivals around the globe, Handling told his fellow graduates that he and his partner, Federica, recently travelled to Europe to help as unattached volunteers in Syrian refugee camps along the Greek-Macedonian border.

“We were in two camps and the experience was in a word: humbling,” he said. More than 250,000 people have been killed in the Syrian conflict and five million more have fled “travelling towards the beacon of Europe.

“We’ve both been processing our experience since our return. They were living in appalling conditions... but their spirit and resilience were truly uplifting.”

Many of their fellow volunteers were “people of your age, people like you.” And although the problems of the world seem insurmountable, like the current refugee crisis, “collectively, the volunteers were making a difference. The camps couldn’t survive with them.”

The world in 2016 is an unsettled place that’s under extreme pressure and it’s easy to be overwhelmed and want to block everything out. But that uncertainty shouldn’t be something that frightens you, you should embrace it, he said.

“You do not know your own power. Start believing in it... We need the best parts of you,” Handling said. “You have received a privileged education. What you make of that experience will mark this country and quite possibly the planet.”

Piers Handling spoke at the 10 a.m. ceremony for graduands from the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management and School of Graduate Studies. A video of his speech is available on U of T’s YouTube channel.