Toronto Film Festival kicks off Thursday [Video]

A star-powered Toronto International Film Festival brought out movie lovers and autograph hunters Thursday as the 11-day screen marathon returned with promises of celebrity glitz after several years of industry upheaval.

Moviegoers lined up for selfies along so-called festival street, a main artery shut down for pedestrian-only access and defined by food trucks, a photo-friendly TIFF welcome sign and the marquee venues set to host red carpets.

The began with hiccups when some festivalgoers experienced ticketing woes on the event’s first day.

Ticketmaster emailed some TIFFsters about a technical issue and told them they would have to re-download their tickets.

A spokeswoman for the festival did not respond to a request for comment about which events were affected.

It was a less-than-smooth start for what’s being billed as TIFF’s return following several years of pandemic-related challenges and industry disruptions.

Filmmaker Kazik Radwanski says the comeback is much needed after COVID-19 …