TIFF’s Piers Handling

I recently re-connected with Piers Handling.

As director and CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival Group since 1994, Handling is the artistic leader of one of the world’s most vibrant cultural organizations.

Born in Calgary and educated in Canada and Germany, Handling worked at the Canadian Film Institute for a decade and also taught at Carleton and Queen’s Universities. He joined the Toronto International Film Festival in 1982 as a programmer, then eventually leading the organization.

Handling has overseen major expansions of the Festival’s initiatives, including the addition of Sprockets: The Toronto International Film Festival for Children; Reel Talk, an interactive and educational monthly series; and Cinematheque Ontario, the acclaimed year-round screening series that continues to enjoy a peerless international reputation. His most recent project is Festival Centre, which will consolidate the Toronto International Film Festival Group programs.

A highly respected member of the cultural community, Handling is a member of the Minister of Culture’s Advisory Council for Arts and Culture and the Mayor of Toronto’s Round Table on Arts and Culture. He was named 2003 CEO of the Year by the Canadian Public Relations Society (Toronto) and was awarded the Chevalier des Arts et Lettres, France’s highest cultural insignia, in 1998, for his promotion and support of French cinema.