TIFF is officially taking over Toronto. Here’s what you need to know from last-minute tickets to star-studded premieres

Toronto International Film Festival’s 50th edition kicks off in Toronto

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is in full-swing in Toronto, for the 50th year.

From Sept. 4 to 14, film buffs can hit-up a handful of theatres to watch one of the hundreds of movies coming to the city’s screens from all around the world.

Here’s what you need to know about TIFF this year:

Buzzy world premieres

The 11-day event will screen more than 290 films this year, with some highly-anticipated world premieres slated for the festival.

A documentary celebrating John Candy’s life, directed by Colin Hanks and featuring “candid testimonies” from the likes of Dan Akroyd, Catherine O’Hara, and Steve Martin, is premiering on Sept. 4. “John Candy: I Like Me” pays tribute to the Canadian actor’s life, starting and ending with eulogies of the “Uncle Buck” star.

There are three big screenings taking over the Princess of Wales Theatre on Friday, starting with “Christy,” chronicling the life of prolific boxer Christy Martin (played by Sydney Sweeney) and the obstacles she overcame. South Korean writer and director, Byun Sung-hyun’s “Good News,” a 1970s-era action thriller set on a hijacked plane, premieres after, with “The Lost Bus” featuring America Ferrera and Matthew McConaughey capping off the evening.

• IN PICTURES: TIFF 2025: Here are all the stars coming to Toronto

Rian Johnson’s third instalment of the whodunit series “Knives Out” will be screened at Princess of Wales Theatre on Saturday night. Like the others, the threequel boasts a star-studded cast alongside Daniel Craig’s protagonist in “Wake Up Dead Man: a Knives Out Mystery,” this time with Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner and Kerry Washington.

Steven Soderbergh, the award-winning director behind films like “Traffic” and the Ocean’s trilogy, will feature “The Christophers” on Monday, and “True Detective” creator Nic Pizzolatto’s “Easy Waltz” premieres for the first time on the world stage on Sept. 11.

Two years after “The Whale” had its North American premiere at TIFF, Oscar winner Brendan Fraser returns to TIFF’s screens with “Rental Family,” a film following the life of an actor living in Japan who has been hired to play a “sad American” at a funeral.

Though not world premieres, other notable films coming to this year’s festival include “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” “Magellan”, and “The Smashing Machine.”

For a full list of screenings, head to TIFF’s festival schedule.

Can I still get tickets?

Tickets have long been available to cinephiles, with TIFF releasing passes in timed batches depending on whether someone is a member, contributor, or part of the general public.

Whether or not there are still tickets available for purchase depends on the event or screening you’re looking at. Several premieres and events have tickets up for resale on Ticketmaster, varying in price depending on demand. For example, the first screening of Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” is completely sold out while a resale ticket for the same film the following morning starts at around $154 (the priciest is going for $333.20).

Be sure to buy your ticket from a reliable source, however, as fraudulent passes for TIFF have been making the rounds.

GoConfirm CEO Sam Pajot-Phipps, an anti-scam platform, warns against buying tickets from people on social media, and looking at verified resellers through legitimate sources like Ticketmaster or StubHub.

• READ MORE: Buying TIFF tickets? Make sure you don’t get scammed

Hollywood celebs that will be in Toronto

Dozens of A-list celebrities are expected to attend their premieres at TIFF this year.

The festival organizers confirmed stars like Angelina Jolie, Natalie Portman, Paul Mescal, Kerry Washington, Idris Elba, Scarlett Johansson, Sydney Sweeney and Matthew McConaughey are expected to attend their premieres. The event will also see red carpet appearances from Emily Blunt, Ralph Fiennes, Daniel Craig, Park Chan-wook and Jodie Foster.

• READ MORE: These celebrities are expected in Toronto for TIFF

Canadian actors Ryan Reynolds and Keanu Reeves are also anticipated to come to Toronto. Reynolds will be at the one of the opening events at TIFF this year, kicking things off with a conversational panel on Friday about the John Candy documentary he helped produce . Reeves, meanwhile, will be at the premiere of “Good Fortune,” directed by comedian Aziz Ansari.

TIFF is also expecting a handful of musicians for the festival this year. Charli xcx will be appearing for the premiere of “Erupcja,” J Balvin will be in attendance for the Canadian film “Little Lorraine,” and Method Man is expected to attend the premiere of “Poetic License,” which is directed by “Euphoria” star Maude Apatow.

Traffic around TIFF

King Street from Spadina and University avenues will be closed starting Thurdsay until Monday, causing streetcar diversions for the 504/304 King route and the 508 Lake Shore route.

Streetcars heading eastbound will head north on Spadina Avenue, east on Queen Street West, south on York Street, east on Adelaide Street, and south on Church Street, before returning to King Street to continue its route. Meanwhile, westbound streetcars will turn north on York Street, west on Queen Street West, south on Spadina Avenue before turning to King Street.

• READ MORE: TTC diverting routes along King Street as TIFF officially kicks off in Toronto

“Throughout TIFF, the TTC will have identifiable staff positioned at key locations to assist customers and provide information about transit options,” the TTC said in a statement.

The transit network says regular streetcar service will resume at 5 a.m. on Sept. 8, however, red carpet events along King Street could still cause delays at some points from Sept. 10 to Sept. 13.

Fans who are looking to spot celebs on the red carpet at TIFF can “claim” a ticket to one of the fan zones the event posts up along King Street and David Pecaut Square.

With files from CTV News Consumer Alert’s Pat Foran