As the first real snowfall of the season coats Toronto in white, what better time is there to look forward to a weekend of luxuriating in the cozy theatres of the TIFF Bell Lightbox? And why this weekend in particular? The first annual Toronto Architecture & Design Film Festival—or ADFF—will be unfolding on Lightbox screens, the local edition of a successful event cultivated by New Yorker Kyle Bergman.

Bergman told us a little bit about the history of the festival. "Eleven years ago, we launched ADFF in New York City, and since then it’s grown to become the largest film festival dedicated to the creative spirit of architecture and design. Each year we bring the festival to NYC, DC, LA, and New Orleans, and we hope that by bringing the festival to Toronto and Vancouver this year, these important Canadian cities will become a part of our annual cycle.

"After just hosting ADFF in Vancouver with many sold out screenings and a very enthusiastic audience, we’re looking forward to bringing the festival to Toronto–Canada’s film and design capital.

"The opening night film, City Dreamers, by Montreal director Joseph Hillel, is an amazing story about the impact that four trail-blazing architects and planners—all in their 90s [now], and who, for their entire professional career were the only women in the room—have had on the built environment. Proceeding the screening we’re incredibly lucky to welcome a discussion between one of the film's protagonists, Phyllis Lambert, alongside Shirley Blumberg [of KPMB Architects] and Jane Wolff [of the UofT Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design]. 

The festival picks up again on Friday evening, and then again all of Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings. City Dreamers will repeat on Sunday if you cannot make the Friday evening. The full schedule is below.

To learn more about any of the films being presented, the festival has a thorough website, which each film—both features and shorts—described, covering…

  • unique buildings like the National Arts Centre, the Sydney Opera House, Manhattan Plaza
  • iconic architects like Frank Gehry, Frank Lloyd Wright, Douglas Cardinal, Mario Botta, Jorn Utzon
  • social issues like Housing Insecurity, Prison Architecture Reform, Community Revitalization, Indigenous Design
  • stunning houses like Toronto's own Integral House
  • world renowned designers like Dieter Rams
  • eccentrics who have challenged the norm, like Bruce Goff and James Turrell
  • AND MORE, of course!

Tickets are priced at the same level as regular TIFF presentations (plus an added service fee of $1.65 per ticket); $14 for adults, $11.50 for students, and $9.75 for TIFF members. They can be purchased in person at the Lightbox or online here. Ticket packages are also available, with bundles of 5 or 13 tickets available at a discount. Enjoy the festival!