Toronto Urban Film Festival (TUFF), The Film Festival for Commuters,
Returns to ONESTOP Screens on TTC Subway Platforms, September 5 - 12, 2008

Mark McKinney (SNL, Kids in the Hall) Named as TUFF 2008 Guest Judge

Deadline for Entries is July 1, 2008

Toronto, Ontario [June 11, 2008] - Art for Commuters and ONESTOP Media Group announce the return of the Toronto Urban Film Festival (http://www.torontourbanfilmfestival.com) to Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) subway screens, September 5 - 12, 2008. Commonly known as TUFF, the festival runs concurrent with The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and is the first and largest of its kind in North America.

This public film festival features a different urban-themed program of 1-minute silent films, which run repeatedly on the ONESTOP’s digital network of over 250 TTC subway platform screens during each of the eight days of the festival. The final day of TUFF is programmed by the public with votes collected online or via text message, beginning September 5th. Audience votes also determine the winner of the TUFF Choice Award, last year awarded to Charuvi Agrawal and Jeffrey Tran for their animation ‘Dundas n’ Bathurst.’

“TUFF offers an accessible creative experience to over 1 million people who ride the TTC daily,” says Sharon Switzer, Executive Director of Art for Commuters, co-producer of the festival along with ONESTOP Media Group. Switzer came up with the idea for TUFF after producing a photography exhibition for the same venue in May 2007.

“We are proud to support Art for Commuters in its efforts to weave art into the social fabric of the daily commute,” says Michael Girgis, President of ONESTOP Media Group. “By taking a creative approach to mass media, TUFF has successfully articulated a shared urban identity that reflects the issues at stake in a large city like Toronto.”

The top three films of the festival will be selected by this year’s guest judge Mark McKinney (Saturday Night Live, Kids in the Hall, Brain Candy). He will be assisted by a jury that includes Richard Fung (video artist and culture critic), Judy Gladstone (Bravo!Fact), Michelle Jacques (assistant curator, AGO) Brenda Longfellow (filmmaker and writer), Deirdre Logue (film and video artist), Jason St-Laurent (artist and curator) and Robert Ouellette (blogger and urban thinker).

“I'm delighted to be this year’s guest judge mostly because I'm expecting to see a huge range of films come in,” says Mark McKinney. “It will be a lot of fun being part of something that promises to capture the attention and imagination of all those people traveling through the underground.”

TUFF is open to local, national and international submissions by video artists, filmmakers -- trained and untrained -- animators and urbanites with cameras or video capable mobile devices. 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 the Website.

Artists are asked to submit 1-minute silent videos addressing one of seven themes: Urban Encounters; Urban Fears; Urban Growth; Urban Imaginary; Urban Natural; Urban Secrets; Urban Travels.

Prizes include: a trip to Aruba from Belair Travel; a Sony HD Camcorder with accessory kit; Sony Digital Cameras; MP3 Players; a dinner at the Drake Hotel with a notable filmmaker.

Deadline for entries is July 1, 2008.

For more information on TUFF, visit http://www.torontourbanfilmfestival.com or look for the TUFF Fan Page on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com). To view a selection of last year’s submissions, visit the TUFF YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/tuffyear1.

Art for Commuters and Onestop Media Group acknowledge the support of the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year invested $11.8 million in media arts throughout Canada.

About Art for Commuters (A4C) - http://www.art4commuters.com
Art for Commuters puts art on urban screens. The same team that produces the Toronto Urban Film Festival also organizes ‘Words Travel Fast’ and ‘Contacting Toronto’ on the Onestop Network.

ONESTOP Media Group - http://www.onestopmediagroup.com
ONESTOP Media Group is Canada's #1 full service digital media network operator. ONESTOP's expertise in the hospitality, transit and retail industries is recognized by clients such as Toronto Transit Commission, Queens University, Hilton Family of Brands, Sporting Life and The Wall Street Journal.

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