Welcome!

SUBMIT TO TUFF - Submission Deadline: July 1st, 2008

TUFF is an 8-day long public film festival on the TTC - the only one of its kind in North America - featuring a different urban-themed program of 1-minute films each day.

TUFF is based on an international open call for participation from both trained professional, and untrained amateur, artists and filmmakers. We encourage all formats and genres of film, video, and animation. All submissions must be silent and exactly 60 seconds.

Take part in the citizen's film festival and share your work with an audience of over 1 million people.

TUFF Themes and Structure

Each of our 7 guest jurors creates a program from work submitted to a particular category.

All films must be submitted to one of the following thematic categories:

  • Urban Encounters – the moments that make city-living worthwhile
  • Urban Fears – the darker side of living in a metropolis
  • Urban Growth – from skyscrapers to suburban sprawl
  • Urban Imaginary – hopes for the future of municipalities
  • Urban Natural – the living city, both nurtured and oppressed
  • Urban Secrets – stories about the hidden or forgotten city
  • Urban Travels – from taking public transit to practicing Parkour


TUFF Plays on the TTC

Films selected by our jurors for each thematic category will play on the network of 250 TTC subway platform screens repeatedly during one day of the festival. The 8th day of TUFF is programmed based on audience votes.

TUFF Online

All selected films are also eligible to be posted our our website, for viewing and voting throughout the festival, as well as for future viewing. Filmmakers can also opt to have their TUFF film added to our YouTube collection.

TUFF Honorarium and Awards

It is free to submit, filmmakers retain rights, and receive $150 per selected film - $75 for taking part in TUFF on the TTC, and $75 for being a part of our website (thanks to arts council grant monies).

Award winning actor, writer and comedian Mark McKinney, our guest celebrity judge for 2008, will choose the top 3 films of the festival, and each guest juror will choose the best in their category. Audience votes determine the winner of the TUFF Choice award. Prizes are dependent on corporate sponsorship, and will be announced shortly.

Trinity Square Video Pitch Award – Deadline CLOSED

Email us a one or two paragraph pitch that describes your 1-minute film idea. The seven submissions that best capture the spirit of the TUFF themes will receive a TSV membership and up to $600 of in-kind support towards both the production and post-production of their TUFF movie. Send your short pitch with CV and contact information.

TUFF is co-produced by Art for Commuters (A4C) and Onestop Media Group.

Questions or Comments: A4C@torontourbanfilmfestival.com

We acknowledge the support the Ontario Arts Council, and the Canada Council for the Arts which last year invested $11.8 million in media arts throughout Canada.