Welcome!

Thank-you to everyone who submitted. We received over 240 submissions from across North America and around the world.

All 77 finalists are listed on our Watch and Vote page.


The Toronto Urban Film Festival, presented by Heineken.

The Film Festival for Commuters is an 8-day long public film festival on the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) - the only one of its kind in North America - featuring a different urban-themed program of silent, 1-minute films each day.

We screen all genres of film, video, and animation from both trained professional, and untrained amateur, artists and filmmakers from across Canada and abroad.

TUFF has an audience of over 1 million daily commuters.

TUFF Themes and Structure

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

  • 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 over 300 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 channel.

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 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 include: a trip to Aruba from Belair Travel; Sharp 32" LCD Screens, VIA Rail gift certificates, and a dinner at the Drake Hotel with a notable filmmaker.

JOIN US ON THE TUFF PAGE ON FACEBOOK


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.