1976 VS. 2016: THE FESTIVAL THEN AND NOW

Legendary French actress Jeanne Moreau, above, was one of the few big stars at the first fest, which was a bit of a bust. But it blossomed from there.

What a difference four decades make!

Back in 1976, the day after the first festival — then called the Festival of Festivals — ended, a headline in the Toronto Star on Oct. 25 noted: “Marathon ends on a flat note.” An accompanying story on the same page was headlined: “Hollywood studios promise to attend next film festival.”

Not the most auspicious start for a festival that used the Ontario Place Cinesphere, designed for IMAX films, as its flagship venue — decades before the festival would debut its own permanent home, the TIFF Bell Lightbox. Celebrities that year were also in short supply. Legendary French actress Jeanne Moreau turned out to be the biggest catch after Jack Nicholson and Julie Christie both bailed at the last minute.

In 2016, there are scores of bigname talent, including actors and directors, attending. To name just a few: Matt Damon, Michael Fassbender, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jennifer Garner and Anne Hathaway. We could go on.

Today, the Toronto International Film Festival has become one of the largest and most influential of its kind in the world, often used as a platform for the studios to kickstart their Oscar campaigns.

Here are some numbers that show just how much the festival has ballooned in the past 40 years:

Dates

1976: 7 days (Oct. 18 to 24)

2016: 11 days (Sept. 8 to 18)

Number of movies

1976: 127 films from 30 countries

2016: 397 films from 71 countries

Program book

1976: one page, single sided

2016: 450+ pages, plus a 76-page screening guide Audience numbers

1976: 35,000

2016: 473,000+

Venues

1976: 3 (Ontario Place, Uptown Backstage, the New Yorker)

2016: 10 (TIFF Bell Lightbox, Roy Thomson Hall, Princess of Wales Theatre, Ryerson Theatre, Elgin Theatre, Winter Garden Theatre, Scotiabank Theatre, Bloor Hot Doc Ted Rogers Cinema, Isabel Bader Theatre, Jackman Hall)

Ticket prices

1976: $6 for 3 films

2016: $25 to $49 and up per film

Accredited media

1976: 145 2016: 1,200+

Headquarters

1976: Windsor Arms Hotel

2016: TIFF Bell Lightbox Galas 1976: 1

2016: 20

Bruce DeMara