Toronto film buffs: now’s your chance to step inside a Criterion pop-up
Get ready to have your very own movie moment
The legendary Criterion Closet, whose film-lined walls have been privy to John Waters’s acid flashbacks and Agnes Varda’s confession that she is a fan of Girls, first made a pit stop in Toronto earlier this year at TIFF’s 50th anniversary celebration. For the holiday season, TIFF will be reuniting with Criterion to host a pop-up shop where Toronto cinephiles can have their very own Criterion moment starting November 18.
While the items inside won’t be free, which is the case for celebrities visiting the original Criterion closet, located at the company’s distribution offices in New York, the Criterion pop-up will be stocked with a range of esoteric titles, many of which have a hometown connection, from David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence to Anora, the Academy Awards smash hit that screened at TIFF in 2024.
When the closet came to Toronto earlier this year, it enjoyed a visit from director Guillermo del Toro, who happens to be the first celebrity to ever film a Criterion Closet video, way back in 2010.
“After the wildly successful stop of the Mobile Closet at TIFF 50, Criterion and TIFF are helping Canadian film lovers find their perfect holiday gift with a curated selection of over 100 Criterion titles, spanning new releases and beloved classics,” reads a press release from Criterion.
The pop-up will be filled with individual films on 4K and Blu-ray, collectable box sets, and Criterion-branded swag like sweaters, tees, hats and totes and will be open from November 18 until December 31. Get ready to do the nerdiest holiday shopping of all time.
