Animal rights activists assembled outside the Bell Lightbox, the cultural centre of the Toronto International Film Festival, as the festival kicked off on September 10 with muted celebrations, media organisation The Hollywood Reporter said. The activists protested against the TIFF’s award deal with luxury brand Canada Goose, who are sponsoring it.

The  People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) gathered outside the centre with around a dozen of people  backed by mobile billboards traversing King Street, and urged TIFF to break the deal with Canada Goose, alleging it of using coyote fur and goose down to make its jackets.

“TIFF & Canada Goose: Partners in Cruelty. For Your Consideration: Wear Vegan.” Nearby protesters held placards that read “TIFF: Stop Taking Blood $ From Canada Goose”, one of the mobile billboards said, with a picture of a fox on it. 

This year, Canada Goose is sponsoring TIFF’s new Amplify Voices Award, which will go to three under-represented filmmakers. 

“We are proud to support TIFF for the ninth year, and even prouder to be partnering with them to launch this year’s new Amplify Voices Award, recognizing filmmakers from underrepresented communities. At Canada Goose, we are deeply committed to the sustainable sourcing and responsible use of all materials in our products and our standards reflect that commitment,” Canada Goose told in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.

Given the COVID-19 pandemic, the event will not be celebrated with all that grandeur as before, with the number of infection-related protocols that have been imposed on the world since the outbreak. The 45th edition of the TIFF had adapted itself to the ‘new norms’ by going through hosts of creative changes keeping in mind the pandemic situation. 

Only 50 films have gained their spots at the festival, owing to the pandemic, along with 40 short films and 10 documentaries. A major chunk of these movies will be screened digitally, with only a few of them being live-screened at Toronto.