The Director of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Piers Handling, and TIFF Artistic Director Cameron Bailey (alongside Serge Toubiana, President of UniFrance, and Kareen Rispal, French Ambassador to Canada, in the photo) were respectively presented with the insignia of Officier and Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters, on Saturday Septemberi 8, during the French Night Cocktail Party hosted each year by UniFrance during the Canadian festival.
Piers Handling, the Director and Chief Executive Officer of TIFF since 1994, is responsible for leading both the operational and artistic growth of the organization. Under Handling’s direction, the organization has grown to become an internationally renowned cultural institution. A true film lover and particularly fond of the French New Wave, he helped French cinema gain visibility in Canada and on many occasions put the spotlight on French directors and actors in his programming of film festivals, including TIFF.
Cameron Bailey, as the Artistic Director of TIFF, is responsible for overall vision and execution of Festival programming and TIFF Industry activities. Inclusion and female empowerment have been at the core of his commitment, both as Artistic Director of TIFF and as a teacher. A strong defender and promoter of diversity in cinema, Cameron Bailey puts the spotlight on films that have not often been seen elsewhere in Canada.
In a press release, Kareen Rispal, French Ambassador to Canada, wished to thank, on behalf of France, Piers Handling "for the great work he has done in raising the profile of independent movies and in attracting French directors, artists, and movie companies to Canada and all of North America. A true cinema lover, he has supported the independent movie genre, and he has propelled female characters and women in general into the spotlight by programming their stories on screen." Kareen Rispal also wished to congratulate Cameron Bailey for "empowering women in all sectors of the film industry [...] As a female Ambassador, I'm very pleased that he helped bring this kind of initiative to life. Gender equality is also a priority for France and I'm looking forward to further cooperation."
