Piers Handling | |
|---|---|
 Piers Handling at the 2017 CFC Annual Garden Party | |
| Born | 1949 |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation | CEO |
| Years active | 1982–2018 |
| Known for | Toronto International Film Festival |
Piers Handling is the former CEO and executive director of the Toronto International Film Festival, and former director of the Canadian Film Institute.
Piers was born to Joan Garrod and Douglas Handling, who met during World War II. [1] He was born in Calgary, but raised on army bases throughout Europe. [1]
Handling studied philosophy at Queen's University, and began his film career at the Canadian Film Institute. He would eventually become director of the CFI.
After leaving the CFI, he taught Canadian cinema at Carleton University in Ottawa and Queen's University in Kingston.
Handling joined the Toronto International Film Festival in 1982, replaced Helga Stephenson as programmer in 1987, and became CEO and executive director in 1994. [2]
During his tenure, TIFF became one of the biggest film festivals in the world, with its own permanent downtown home and film hub in TIFF Bell Lightbox, which screens films and holds various events year-round. [3]
In 2003, Handling was named CEO of the Year by the Canadian Public Relations Society. [4] Handling was succeeded by Joana Vicente in November 2018. [5]
The Toronto International Film Festival is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, founded in 1976 and taking place each September. It is also a permanent destination for film culture operating out of the TIFF Bell Lightbox cultural centre, located in Downtown Toronto.
Alanis Obomsawin, is an Abenaki American-Canadian filmmaker, singer, artist, and activist primarily known for her documentary films. Born in New Hampshire, United States and raised primarily in Quebec, Canada, she has written and directed many National Film Board of Canada documentaries on First Nations issues. Obomsawin is a member of Film Fatales independent women filmmakers.
Isadore "Issy" Sharp, is a Canadian hotelier and writer. He is founder and chairman of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.
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The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) is a charitable organization founded in 1988 by filmmaker Norman Jewison in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Originally launched as a film school, today it provides training, development and advancement opportunities for professionals in the Canadian film, television and digital media industries, including directors, producers, screenwriters, actors and musicians.
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The Company 3 TFCA Luminary Award, formerly the Clyde Gilmour Award, is an annual award, presented at the discretion the Toronto Film Critics Association as a lifetime achievement award for distinguished contributions to the Canadian film industry. Named in memory of Canadian broadcaster Clyde Gilmour, who was posthumously honoured as the award's first recipient, the award honours achievements in any part of the Canadian film industry, including direction, production, criticism, broadcasting and film festival programming, that have helped to enrich the understanding and appreciation of film in Canada.
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