TORONTO — The Toronto International Film Festival and Hot Docs are offering free perks to welcome young cinephiles back to the movie theatre.
Both organizations say they’ve teamed up to launch benefit programs for moviegoers in their early 20s.
TIFF’s pass for film buffs under age 25 grants access to a ticket pre-sale for this spring’s Next Wave Film Festival, a youth-centric lineup of programming.
The pass, which is valid until the end of next January, also includes hundreds of free screenings, 25 per cent off year-round tickets at the TIFF Bell Lightbox and discounts on concessions.
The Hot Docs Bronze Membership, typically priced at $59 a year, is available free to documentary lovers aged 25 and under.
Members get discounts on Hot Docs Festival tickets, packages and passes and free premium access to its streaming platform.
The new offerings come as two of Toronto’s destinations for film lovers seek ways to attract audiences back after two years of various COVID-19 closures.
“Out of collective discussions throughout the pandemic, we realized we could combine forces to encourage more young people to return to the cinema, and this initiative was born,” Chris McDonald, co-president of Hot Docs, said in a statement.
“It’s the perfect joint gift to the next generation of movie lovers.”
Last December, TIFF announced that members would receive free access to most of its Cinematheque screenings, a curated selection of Canadian and international films.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 23, 2022.
