TIFF started on Thursday, and King Street (from University to Peter) has been turned into a pedestrian-only walkway filled with festival volunteers, fans lining up for star sightings and slightly annoyed-looking businessmen trying to navigate the crowds. We decided to ask people who live or work in the area (a minority when you factor in all the tourists, photographers and TIFF employees) what they think of the festival, which is something of a polarizing topic. Here’s what they had to say.
<strong>Name:</strong> Michael Chan<br /><br />
<strong>Age:</strong> 54<br /><br />
<strong>Profession:</strong> Computer Consultant<br /><br />
“Anything that gets tourists in town spending money is fine by me!”
<strong>Name:</strong> Kathy Le<br /> <strong>Age:</strong> 63<br /> <strong>Profession:</strong> Daycare Worker<br /> “I love it! The energy, the glamour...everyone is happy! It shows the fun of Toronto: the fans, the food...everything! I thought it was for younger people, but it's fun for me too—and I'm a senior!”
<strong>Name:</strong> Kuldar Lindrere<br /><br />
<strong>Age:</strong> 32<br /><br />
<strong>Profession:</strong> Investment Banker at Royal Bank<br /><br />
“I think movies make people stupider. And when I walk to work, I'd rather just walk to work, instead of having to go through all this.”
<strong>Name:</strong> Sheena Pulapaka<br /><br />
<strong>Age:</strong> 25<br /><br />
<strong>Profession:</strong> Account Manager<br /><br />
“I love TIFF! It's so great to see the area filled with all this life. It reminds me of Taste of the Danforth or other big city festivals.”
<strong>Name:</strong> Sarah Wong<br /><br />
<strong>Age:</strong> 24<br /><br />
<strong>Profession:</strong> Banker at CIBC<br /><br />
“I haven't seen a movie, but I love walking through the area. And I'll be honest—I do love a bit of stargazing! So if I can catch one, that's pretty cool.”
<strong>Name:</strong> David Camelon<br /><br />
<strong>Age:</strong> 49<br /><br />
<strong>Profession:</strong> AV/IT Technician<br /><br />
“I think the city spends too much money on the festival now. It used to be a lot lower-key. But I hope they don't cancel it because of this comment!”