TIFF drops controversial sponsor after backlash
Just days before the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival is set to start, the organization has officially halted its relationship with Therme Group, the much-loathed private entity that is set to convert a large swath of the city's Ontario Place property into a bougie megaspa.
Earlier this year, TIFF found itself in some hot water after news spread of its new initiative with the wellness complex developer, dubbed Cinematic Cities.
Through the 10-year partnership, the two were to launch a series of talks about "how art and film promote the holistic growth of healthy, engaged cities and citizenship," along with a handful of other projects stretched over ten years to "celebrate the importance of art" and "build stronger communities through the shared experience of film."
Shame on @cameron_tiff and TIFF. Get out before you lose your soul. https://t.co/bBS1oLvMXR
— Susan Reisler (@susanreisler) January 7, 2023
Though it was announced back in 2021, the affliliation was picked up by the Twitter crowd in January as the public opposition to Therme grew.
Now, TIFF has confirmed to media outlets that Therme will have zero involvement in this year's events, and the joint venture is on pause, to be re-examined next year, at best.
Thank you @TIFF_NET @cameron_tiff for pausing your relationship w Therme. As a member of TIFF, I am concerned that a community-oriented organization such as TIFF would partner w a corporation hell bent on destroying much beloved public green space. End your relationship fully. https://t.co/WL4GhizRki
— Dr. Faisal Moola (@faisal_moola) August 29, 2023
A large factor in the decision, per the Globe, was the intensely negative response that people have expressed in recent months, both to the collaboration and to Therme's entrance into the Canadian market in general.
Therme's financial support of this year's festival apparently wasn't anything too substantial — though the loss of TIFF's long-running Bell sponsorship this week is another story.
Let’s hope this isn’t just a strategic pause to take the heat and bad press off of TIFF during the film fest. TIFF needs to fully detach from Therme if they truly care about Ont, Toronto, nature, their ticket sales, public opinion & their reputation #topoli
— Natalie (@natalieroth) August 29, 2023
Depsite numerous attempts to win residents over — up to and including taking its Ontario Place designs back to the drawing board and shrinking the building footprint by 25 per cent — Austria-based Therme and its PR team continue to deal with incessant pushback and demands that the waterfront property stay public for all to use.
