TIFF PHOTO GALLERY: Peek inside TIFF’s new home, the Bell Lightbox

By Jon Sufrin | September 13, 2010

By Jon Sufrin | 09/13/2010

“Why are we here?” a young child asks his mother inside the freshly opened Bell Lightbox. What a poignant question. We had been here at the TIFF Bell Lightbox opening party since 11 a.m., wondering the same thing. Certainly, it wasn’t to see film celebrities—the Reitmans, after whom this part of town is now named, attended the ribbon cutting—and it wasn’t to see TIFF volunteers blowing bubbles with impunity outside, or the striking Hyatt employees playing drums on overturned buckets. What about the Taste of the Danforth–esque food tents on King Street? The too Canadian music lineup that included The Sadies and K’naan? The bouncy castle that we were, unfortunately, too tall to enjoy? No, no, no.

“It’s a new building,” the mother answered, “and we’re here to see what it’s like.” Ah, yes. The Bell Lightbox. Here is what it’s like.

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Local baker Madeleines created this Lightbox replica out of cake (Photo by Jag Gundu/Getty Images)

Atom Egoyan’s 8 1/2 screens at the TIFF Bell Lightbox opening (Image: Jon Sufrin)

Looking up in the main hall of the TIFF Bell Lightbox (Image: Jon Sufrin)

The exterior of he TIFF Bell Lightbox on King Street West (Image: Jon Sufrin)

K’naan performs outdoors at the Bell Lightbox block party (Image: Stefania Yarhi)

An unidentified Stormtrooper near the Bell Lightbox threatens Boba Fett, who calls for ransom money (Image: Stefania Yarhi)

Rocking face paint at the Bell Lightbox block party (Image: Stefania Yarhi)

The Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow and Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz showed up for the Bell Lightbox block party (Image: Stefania Yarhi)

The organizers’ admission policy was inclusive. Vagrants and waves of university frosh were wandering around the sleek space as we were, looking for something interesting, like Atom Egoyan’s 8 ½ Screens video installation: a projector stood at the front of a screening room, and images of Federico Fellini’s 8 ½ played on several white sheets. Guy Maddin’s installation Hauntings I and II offered a campy, cheeky taste of the ghouls and spooks of forgotten old films. Elsewhere, loops of video montages paid tribute to cinema classics, and in one room, video-free sound collages had everyone wondering when the screening was going to begin. The two new restaurants—O&B Canteen and Luma, both by Oliver and Bonacini—have a wide-open, friendly air about them, and are both welcome additions to a culinarily troubled strip of King West.

As for the building itself, one crowd member summed it up succinctly: “It’s cool. It’s very modern.” Yes, the new Lightbox is cool, but probably not as earth shattering as Bell would have us believe. It is best described as serviceable and navigable. Perfect for housing the large crowds of TIFF and for keeping festival organizers’ (whose offices are housed upstairs) focus where it should be: on the movies.

2 thoughts on “TIFF PHOTO GALLERY: Peek inside TIFF’s new home, the Bell Lightbox”

supergirl1212 says:

September 14, 2010 at 3:34 pm

I thought the whole thing felt cheaply done and it was more about empty spaces than interesting architecture. It feels like ikea made an office building. It will not age well and will look tattered and tired before too long. I guess big buidling cost a lot of money and once again Toronto does it but not quite well enough!!!
really? says:

September 15, 2010 at 11:48 am

Are you seriously putting the height restrictions of the bouncy castle on TIFF? Did you happen to notice that it was filled with children? Perhaps that’s because it was FOR children, not bloggers who are aspiring to one day be recognized for their razor-sharp cynicism and be promoted into a position where their ‘writing’ is seen in print.

In addition to this, I happen to know that ALL bouncy castle rental companies (you know, the companies that tend to require absolute adherence to the rules or they’ll keep your insurance deposit) indicate that adults (you do consider yourself for the most part an adult, right?) are not permitted to use them.

It’s a pity though- I’m sure a picture of an adult reporter enjoying himself on a bouncy castle while the children all got to watch would have looked awesome on this post, and not at all pathetic.