Say thank you to Piers Handling before he retires after 36 years with TIFF

Film Lover –

I grew up in Thedford, Ontario, and when I moved to Toronto to pursue my love of film, I never imagined I’d get so lucky.

In the first few weeks, I stumbled upon TIFF Cinematheque — a world-class cinema that’s become my second home. I was finally able to see the films I loved, and films I’d never heard of, on the big screen. I was enthralled.

But even more than the films, what changed my life forever was the community I was able to share them with.

Film lovers of all ages and backgrounds come to TIFF Cinematheque. They come from all over Toronto, but they also come from all over the world. I’ve met so many people and had so many great conversations because of this community. And at the heart of it all — sitting in front of me at what felt like every screening — was Piers Handling. The man responsible for building this sanctuary for cinephiles is also one of its most frequent visitors.

If you love film, please join me in saying thank you to Piers Handling before he retires after 36 years with TIFF.

Share your message of thanks and honour Piers by making a donation to support TIFF. Let’s show our gratitude by making TIFF stronger than ever!

Today, I work for TIFF, bringing films to more than 160 communities across Canada as a Coordinator of our Film Circuit programme.

I love my job. I get to expand TIFF’s community to some hard-to-reach places and watch films with people who would never get to enjoy the experience otherwise. My job has made me appreciate the power of film more than ever, and it’s because of Piers Handling and his commitment to film lovers like me that Film Circuit exists.

This is my message of thanks to Piers, but we’ve received hundreds more in the past few weeks. Here’s what some of you have had to say:

• “Thank you, Piers, for all you have done, not only for TIFF but for cinema in Canada as a whole.”
• —Andre
  
  “Piers, I can safely say without you it would have taken me a lot longer to discover Anna Magnani. I would never have developed such love for Antonioni and, without question, I would not have come to worship Paolo Sorrentino. There is no doubt we — I — will miss you. Thank you.”
• —Paul
• 
  "I’ve been sitting, by chance, just behind you — towards the back of the auditorium and to the left — since TIFF Bell Lightbox opened. Keep coming! Thank you."
• —Heather

These messages make me proud to be part of the amazing TIFF community.

Please take a minute to share your message of thanks with Piers, and make a donation to help us reach our goal of 3,600 donors in honour of Piers's 36 years with TIFF.

I am humbled by the opportunity to share my story and my message of thanks with Piers.

Thanks so much for reading this, and for being part of our community. I can’t wait to see you at the cinema in 2019!

Cheers,

David Van Poppel
Coordinator, Film Circuit

P.S. – Don’t forget that there’s another great way you can support TIFF: become a TIFF Member before 11:59pm on December 31 and get a free, six-month gift Membership to share with a friend. The gift of a TIFF Membership can open a whole world of film to someone. And by becoming a Member, and sharing a new Membership, you can support TIFF’s work for years to come!