TIFF welcomes television to the party
Movie fest beginning to acknowledge the blurred lines between TV and film
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF— Tim Kring was in the writers’ room in Los Angeles working on his highly anticipated NBC science fiction series Heroes Reborn when he received an unexpected but welcome call.
“They said we have something really great to tell you. It never happens and it’s super exciting,” Kring told the Star, sitting on the terrace of the Beverly Hilton hotel less than 48 hours after digesting the news. “What an incredible honour.”
That call in August turned out to be somewhat historic: Heroes Reborn, along with five other shows, was chosen to be in the inaugural television program at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was, for Kring, the finest acknowledgement that the medium of television had not just matured but was on par in many ways with the best in film.
“We were just so excited and thrilled when they told us we were selected,” said Jennifer Salke, president of drama for NBC. “It was like, oh my God, they believe in Heroes the way we do. We are really excited and humbled to do this.”
The Toronto festival, widely regarded as the most important showcase of film in North America, is recognizing that the demarcation point between movies and television has blurred.
The introduction of TV programming on the 40th anniversary of the festival is also significant as it moves to become a much more comprehensive celebration of all things media, reflecting the way viewers consume entertainment and what programmers have traditionally thought of as art.
Television was the “boob tube,” a disposable experience for those interested in Celebrity Family Feud, not a true cinematic immersion. But the medium’s new golden age has lately provided an unprecedented creative and artistic rush.
TIFF programmers have acknowledged the power of the form with “Primetime,” a new section that will feature six international TV programs.
“We really wanted to make a statement with this,” says programmer Michael Lerman. “You see what is happening out there, this renaissance in television. Now is the time to start looking at television as longform film.”
Lerman has chosen a diverse slate to launch Primetime from an American comedy series to an Argentinian eco-thriller, a French supernatural drama and an Icelandic noir thriller.
“The new serialized television show in some ways has replaced the novel as the thing that people want to talk about at dinner parties,” says Heroes creator Kring. “Television has become a powerful part of the pop culture conversation.”
Part of the reason is economic. Television production, particularly of quality serialized dramas, has seen explosive growth. More than 400 scripted shows are expected to be released this year, not including sports or reality programming. That’s because of the proliferation of well-capitalized cable and online purveyors such as Netflix and Amazon that were not in the business a decade ago.
Although Toronto has proudly held the title of “Hollywood North,” the reality is that TV production has long outstripped film production in Canada.
According to the Toronto Film, Television & Digital Media Office, TV production in the city accounted for the lion’s share — or about 80 per cent — of investment in 2014, worth $757 million. That’s for shows such as Heroes Reborn, which filmed in the GTA, and other popular shows such as Suits or Murdoch Mysteries.
Feature films accounted for 18 per cent of investment or $171 million. In Hollywood, money talks. And the influx of money in television means an unprecedented wave of talent from directors to stars who are now working on the smaller screen.
TIFF is not the first film festival to give the medium its due. The Tribeca Film Festival this year screened episodes of Amy Schumer’s Comedy Central series Inside Amy Schumer. Sundance showcased HBO’s documentary The Jinx and South by Southwest added a new television section they call Episodic in 2014.
TIFF has featured TV programs in the past, but not as part of a curated section. This year they also have a separate program devoted to Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner, who will give live commentary on an episode.
Malcolm Dunlop, a veteran industry consultant who was the former top programming executive at Rogers Media, says the move toward small screen offerings at TIFF shows how integrated the industry has become.
“Good content is good content. Whether it’s delivered on your tablet, or smartphone or in the theatre, it really doesn’t matter anymore,” says Dunlop. “TV has never been better and it deserves to be showcased.”
Dunlop is a pioneer in the industry, most recently in charge of programming for Rogers-held City and OMNI. At multicultural station OMNI, his mandate, not unlike TIFF’s, was to comb the globe looking for foreign-language TV acquisitions.
“The world is such a big place and there is so much great programming out there I am glad to see that it is getting a platform,” says Dunlop.
Some of the choices at TIFF are not what you might expect from a highbrow festival.
Kring’s Heroes Reborn is a continuation of the immensely popular 2006-10 series about regular folk who gain superpowers. It’s also what they call a genre show, that stew of series with supernatural or science fiction elements. It’s not a category that is usually beloved of Emmy voters (although Heroes was once nominated for Outstanding Drama Series), who lately seem to prefer bestowing awards on highbrow cable dramas.
But now Heroes Reborn has been chosen to showcase the best of contemporary television with all the prestige that goes with premiering at TIFF.
“The mission for the television section was to really make a well-rounded program, not unlike what we have in our film program,” says Lerman. “You may have some smaller independent films, but you also have a noteworthy Hollywood blockbuster.”
What is not lost on TIFF programmers is that television, and particularly genre TV, comes with its own set of fanatical followers who actively consume social media. Taking some of the audience from Comic-Con may not be the mission statement of any film festival, but it is a smart move if gaining viewership and recognition is part of the mandate.
That’s something Kring acknowledges.
“Genre used to be considered on the fringes,” says Kring. “But the genre audience has very quietly become the mainstream audience. You just have to look at the summer movies to see that.”
“The genre audience has very quietly become the mainstream audience. You just have to look at the summer movies to see that.”
TIM KRING HEROES CREATOR
“And I think (TIFF’s) decision probably reflects that.”
Getting the right attention is paramount in the TV business. As FX network chief John Landgraf said at the recent Television Critics Association conference, there may just be too much programming being created.
That’s why showcasing the best in TV at festivals such as TIFF become even more important. While shows such as Heroes Reborn and Jason Reitman’s Casual are already picked up, other noteworthy shows in the lineup are looking for wider distribution.
“You really can’t call TIFF programmers film people anymore, they are media people, because this is really an exploration of the best in media,” says David Heath, one of the creators of the Canadian International Television Festival, which runs in November.
Heath, a former board member at TIFF, says he started CITF two years ago because it bugged him that there were more than 60 film festivals in Canada, but none devoted to TV.
On the surface it looks like Heath has the most to lose if TIFF ends up stealing thunder from his fledgling festival.
CITF is modelled after TIFF and even uses the TIFF Bell Lightbox for its programs. Last year, it premiered CBC’s Book of Negroes.
Still, Heath argues that the additional spotlight on TV won’t hurt his own non-profit celebration of the medium.
“I think a rising tide will lift all boats and I do see us as one of the boats that will be elevated. TIFF has also been supportive,” says Heath.
The CITF has yet to release its lineup, but he says in the future the two festivals will likely have to collaborate to make sure that there is no overlap in programming.
The real winner? Canadians. Television is finally coming out on its own and, with the two festivals, Toronto will remain at the forefront globally in the minds of those celebrating not just film, but the power and influence of television as an artistic medium, together on the same podium.