This letter was originally circulated in September of 2023, galvanizing hundreds of filmmakers to challenge TIFF's sponsorship policy. Since then, the festival's leadership met with the letters' authors and dismissed their demands. And still the letter continues to garner new signatures as the campaign to end TIFF's RBC sponsorship continues. Read below...

• RBC is the world's biggest financier of fossil fuels, making it a hugely polluting company.

• RBC offers unqualified support for destructive projects on Indigenous Lands and BIPOC communities.
  

• By sponsoring our industry's premier event, RBC buys social license for its destructive actions.

Dear Mr. Bailey,

We, the undersigned, are filmmakers from Canada and abroad, united by concerns for human rights and the rapidly escalating climate crisis.

Through reading news media in the last year, a troubling set of facts about TIFF’s main sponsor, the Royal Bank of Canada, have come to our attention, as they probably have come to yours:

1. The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) is one of the most polluting companies in our country because of its colossal “financed emissions.” It is a world-leading enabler of fossil fuel extraction, quite literally the biggest in 2022.

2. This same bank has been making extensive statements purporting to champion the cause of fighting climate change, resulting in a federal investigation for deceiving its customers.

3. Multiple leading Indigenous and BIPOC organizations and nations have denounced the bank’s indiscriminate enabling of projects on their lands, which they argue fail to respect their fundamental rights. (1, 2, 3, 4)

4. The bank’s reaction to this has been dismissive, with senior leaders of Indigenous nations being denied access to its AGM despite having the proper paperwork. Demands for an apology have garnered thousands of signatures with little response.

We believe that these troubling revelations make RBC a poor sponsor for the Canadian film industry’s premier event.

If we are to play a meaningful role in countering the climate crisis and stand in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples, we cannot be blind to our industry’s role in shaping culture. We cannot implicitly endorse RBC by allowing it to be the leading partner of Canadian film.

Our values, as filmmakers and industry workers, require us to make courageous choices. As RBC continues to disparage and ignore BIPOC groups and civil society, where will we stand?

So long as RBC remains a funder of fossil fuels and a steady trickle of disenfranchised communities fight to hold RBC accountable for its financing of projects on their Land and communities, our choice is solidarity. Therefore, we have come to the irrefutable conclusion: RBC is not a suitable TIFF sponsor.

We therefore ask TIFF to discontinue its relationship with RBC for the 2024 edition of the festival. While this is no trivial matter, we believe that, as an organization with 100+ corporate sponsors and $45m in revenue, TIFF is well positioned to replace RBC’s estimated 1m per year and find less harmful sponsors.

We further understand and note that RBC money is an important source of support for filmmakers finding their footing. We must find worthy sources of financing, and TIFF, with its symbolic power and might, is an excellent place to begin the process of weaning our industry off RBC’s money.

If RBC were to draft and implement robust policies that ensure its funding goes towards projects that uphold, affirm and respect Indigenous rights and decisive climate action proven to decrease emissions and support communities, we would reconsider our request. But since every indication has been that the bank is determined to do precisely the opposite, we believe it is time to get RBC off the Screen.

Signed,

Jeremy Strong, Actor
Rachel McAdams, Actress
Joaquin Phoenix, Actor
Megan Durnford, Director
Ed Norton, Actor
Astra Taylor, director
Mark Ruffalo, Actor/director/producer
Julianne Moore, actor
Bruce Cohen, Producer
Avi Lewis, Director
Leonardo DiCaprio, Actor
Thomas Burstyn, Director/Cinematographer
Helene Klodawsky, Writer/Director
Louise Lalonde, Writer/Producer
Dave Granville , Actor
heather k dahlstrom, producer writer director photographer
Hedyeh Bozorgzadeh , Writer/Producer
Kim Lores, Actor
Anne Bolduc, Assistante réalisatrice
Daniel Davis, Production designer
Rebecca Chaiklin, Documentary Filmmaker
Thomas Harjo, Grip
Marcos Castro , Boom Operator
Eve Pomerance , Casting Director and producer
Kaveh Nabatian, Director
Mina Sewell Mancuso, Director
Genevieve Long, Graphic Designer
Andréa Schmidt, Documentary Producer & Director
Zaid Dagamseh, Filmmaker
Shirin Rashid, Set Designer
Melissa Cox, Documentary Filmmaker
Zippy Downing, Location Manager
Sam Vinal, Producer
Anna Quinn, Hair Designer
Lane Friedman , Hair department Head
Greg Gabrio, DIT
Esteban Sanchez, Assistant Director
Patricia Clum , Makeup Artist
Paul Parillo,
Luis Sequeira , Costume designer
Lindsay Gilmer, Art Dept Coordinator
Julia Neville, Union representative
eric poirier, Concepteur de costume
Robert Holbrook, Sound boom
Heidi Kindberg Goss, Sustainability
Janet Snetsinger, Set supervisor wardrobe dept retired
Nadia Beliveau,
Luis Freitas, Assistant Picture Editor
Cathy Gulkin, Picture editor
Christopher Gessner , Writer
Erica Pomerance, Writer/Director
Simon Plouffe, Cinéaste
Lauren Bratman, Producer
Kat Coiro, Director
Lindsay Kerns, Writer
Alanah Rafferty, Filmmaker
Clara George, Producer
Nika Belianina, Director
Sasha Odesse, Art Dept
Jane Walker, Script Supervisor, Filmmaker
Eric McKenzie, Writer/Director
Eve Lamont, Réalisatrice
Ellen Gabriel , Director/producer
Sara Bourdeau, Réalisatrrice
Josué Bertolino, Réalisateur, DOP
Camille Trudel, Screenwriter Director
Michel Giroux, monteur
John Greyson, Filmmaker
Francine Pelletier, director and screenwriter
Marie-Claude Fournier, Director
Francine Gravel,
German Gutierrez, Film Director
Adrian Knight, Location Manager
Van Tran, Assistant Art Director
Sarah Gonzalez, Graphic Designer (TV/Film Art Department)
Isabelle Hayeur, Cinéaste
Anita Lubosch, Sound Designer/ Sound Editor/ Mixer/ Composer
Laurie Hamelin, Producer, Photographer, Videographer
Mary Robbie, Retired accounting
Alex Brunelle, 1st Assistant Camera
Vincenzo Natali, Writer/Directoe
Nicky Certo, Assistant
Shannon McPhail, Producer
Christopher Binney, First Assistant Director
Marie-Dominique Michaud, Productrice, réalisatrice
Iolande Cadrin Rossignol, Productrice Scénariste Réalisatrice
Chad Tremblay, Picture Editor
Olivier Sabino, Réalisateur
Porter Lontz-Underhill, Producer
Lauren Bertoni, Studio Teacher
Fisher Stevens, director, actor
Matthew Neufeld, Post Production - 1st Asst Editor
Fiona Cully, Director and screenwriter
Catherine Pallascio, Cineaste
Michele Yu, Production Designer
Mike Harling,
Brian Stockton, Director
Jeremy Kessler, Sound Editor
Alicia Remigio, DGC Member-Graphics person, art dept
Eric Houstoun, assistant director
Jeremy LaLonde, Filmmaker
Libby Hodgson, 1st Assistant Director
Anne-Marie Gelinas, Production
Louise Lavoie, Réalisatrice
Pascale Ferland, Cinéaste
Dara Moats, Festival programmer
Tony Poffandi, AD
Kaye Adelaide, Writer/Director
Elizabeth Stewart, screenwriter
Rebecca Pearson, Production Accountant
Lucette Lupien , Consultante
Sophie Bissonnette, Réalisatrice
Wendy Loten, Producer/director
Amir Kiani , Director, Production Designer
Reid Dunlop, First Assistant Director
VINCENT Gravel Trudel, Compositeur
Ty LeBlanc, Writer and Assistant Director
Sue Bristow, Producer & Casting Director
Doreen Pretty, Retired
Rose-Marie Couture, Real Estate Agent, Film Consultant
Maia Iotzova, Director
Bryan Power, Clearance Coordinator
Alba Gil, Director
Nicole Johnston, Producer
Mac Bradden, Retired director/Wildlife biologist
Warren Carr, Producer
Amelia Moses, Director
Chloé Leriche, Cinéaste-productrice
Susan Rynard, filmmaker
Nicole Giguere, Réalisatrice, membre du CA et coordonatrice de Réalisatrices Equitables
Roy Hubler, Chauffeur
Megan Fox,
Elza Kephart, Director
Mae Varela, Scripte
Jonathan Della Vecchia, Director Videographer and Editor
Madeleine Madeleine, Accounting
Christoper Danton, Line Producer
Kim Barr, Director / Writer
Francois Jacob, Documentariste
Viki Posidis, Filmmaker
Austin Graff,
Francois Delisle, Cinéaste
Donna Lisa, Costume Designer
Elric Robichon, Film editor
Anoma Modi, Set Designer
John O'Brien, Photographer
Anne Casselman, Journalist
Emily Bosschaart, 2nd assistant art director
Gillian Nasser , Assistant Art Director
Douglas Williams, Director writer producer
Landon Ramirez, Assistant Director
Cal Trute, Writer/Director
Janet Joy Wilson, Actor
Carlos Ferrand,
Zach Lipovsky, Chair of National Directors Devision of the DGC
Andrew Currie, writer/director
Sarah Hay, Producer
Robert Vaughn, Director
Tim Southam, Director
Kai McCall, Film fan
Olivier D. Asselin, Director
solmaz eshraghi , 1st Assistant Art Director
Carmen Garcia, producer
Kevin Eastwood, Director/Producer
James Bastable, Sound Editor
Elle Favorule, Makeup dept head
Samantha Chadbourne, Camera Utility
Vic Roca, Grip
katerine.martineau@gmail.com Katerine Martineau, Réalisatrice
Dan Yarhi, Production Designer
Peter Bohdal, Designer
Anoush Baravyan-Gauthier, AD
Eva quintero, I work as a film technician and I want them DROPPED!
Hannah Fortin, 2nd AD / director
Etienne Roussy, Cinematographer
Jean-Christophe Yacono, Réalisateur multimédia
Gavin Fernandes, Re-recording mixer
Lee Paula Springer, Writer/Director
Lauren Ishak, Art Department Coordinator
Devery Jacobs, Actor/Filmmaker
Keegan Chambers, Accountant
Jacob Logel, Film student
Sean Buckley, onset dresser
Stephanie Dilnot,
Sean Miller, Agent
Lisa Diveney, Actor
Katherine Clarke, Trainee assistant art director
Liz Bragale, PA / Director / Writer
Simon Sweetman, Concept Artist
Karla Meza, Filmmaker Director
Becca Blackwood , Costume designer
Trevor Stewart, Art Director
Lindsay McIntyre, Writer Director Producer
Terrance Odette, Writer/Director
Franklin Lopez, Producer Editor
Nick Mullen, Actor, TV Producer
Patricia Mputu, SECOND AD
Tara Federko, Writer/ Actor/ Assistant Director
Kaila Hunte, Actor/Filmmaker
Saaraa Rayani, Producer’s Assistant
Mary Galloway, Writer/Director/Actor
Elise Ekker-Lambert, Documentary filmmaker
Angela Jekums, Film Editor
Fred Kamping, Location Scout and Manager
Ann Foo, Editor
Ewan McNeil, Grip
Julie Lambert, Realisatrice
Lou Scamble , Scénariste
Aocha Raihani, Loaction Manager
Pascal Gélinas , Réalisateur
Frédérick Pelletier, Cinéaste
Anais Barbeau-Lavalette, Scénariste et Réalisatrice
Matthew Maggi, Assistant Director
Ravinder Darshi, Cultural
Luke V Carpenter, Accountant
Daryna Rymareva, Independent Director
David Lewington, set designer
Marty Dejczak, Location Manager
Priya D, actor
Chrussy Byrd, Locations / Office
Mathilde Caron, Writer
Sonia Cabrera, Makeup artist
Jose Luis Gutierrez, Production Manager
Sydney Cowper, Editor
Gabriela Macleod, FIlmmaker and educator
Katia Lo Innes, Video Producer/Journalist
Gabrielle Vigneault-Gendron, Réalisatrice
Joshua Pribanic, Director
Aidan Bell, Trainee Assistant Art Director
Tom Boyd-Hall, Director
Camila Novais, Documentary director
Nadia Louis-Desmarchais, Screenwriter and Director
Naomie Décarie-Daigneault, Cinéaste
Janine Heath, Production Manager
Mélanie Gauthier, Directrice de post-production
Kiley Hodgson , Assistant Accountant
ASTRA BURKA, Independent Director and Production Designer
Gioia Fajardo, Assistant Director
Graeme Hayward, Assistant Director
Mark Pettit, Actor
Corey De Lima Nutter, AD/PA
Erin McQueenie, Assistant Director
Sarah Brooks, Locations
Michelle A, Producer
Tracy Noga, Production Coordinator
Brandon Ng, Assistant Director
Robin Hays, Filmmaker
Priscilla Yeo, Production Manager
Lendl Quiapo, Non-Union Bestboy LX and DGCBC PA
Renata Wasylkewycz, Production Coordinator
Liane Prevost, Set Designer
Bruce Wrighte, Art Department (Graphic Design)
Adam Medley, Assistant Art Director
Dylan Rev, Motion Graphics Designer
Giselle Selim, Art coordinator
Sam Haque, Art Director
Hayley James, Graphics
Isobel Rose Binnie, Set designer
Jill Compton, First Assistant Director
ryan hyland, Ad
Sartaj Aulakh , Assistant Director
Martin Buzora, Director / Cinematographer
Nick Hector, Producer and Editor
Mike Munn, Film Editor
Alexander DeSouza, Film Director, Editor
Bahareh ZabihiAali, Picture Editor
Paul Germann, Sound Designer, Screenwriter
Jean Babin, Directeur artistique
Frank Ruszczynski, 1st AD
Flavien Demeure, Director
Marie-Hélene Cousineau, director/producer
Sebastien Regimbald, Production Coordinator
Hazel Thayer, Writer
Amy Mann,
Naomi Jaye, director
Mariel Sharp, Producer
Steve Patry, Réalisateur
Hans Dayal, Production Manager
Stephen Philipson, Editor
Nutan Khanna, Clearances + Research
Gina Lazarowich, Producer/Documentary film director
Shelagh Rowan-Legg, writer/director
Nicolas Comeau, Producteur
Yanick Letourneau, President CEO - Senior Producer
Simon Lavoie, scénariste réalisateur
Hélene Muller,
Samer Najari, réalisateur
Delphine Measroch,
Jenny Cartwright, documentariste
Elizabeth Guildford , Line Producer
Cris Palacios, Locations Production Assistant  
Colin Graham, Motion Graphics
Gabriel Teller, Assistant Directtor
Mima H, Set designer
Nadya Hanlon, Sound Editor
Samuel Gagnon, Producteur
Francis Desjardins, Director
Alexandre Burton, new media artist
Matthew Whelan, Vfx supervisor
Marie-Claude Paradis-Vigneault, Cinéaste documentaire
Patricio Henriquez, Scénariste, Réalisateur, Producteur
Erdem Calis, Assistant Director
Cecilia Divito, Graphic Designer
Loretta VanHart, Production Accountant/Consultant
Philippe Lavalette, dop
Akilah Thorington, Assistant Accountant
Anna Lupien, réalisatrice
Berenicci Hershorn, 1st Assistant Picture Editor
David Cherniak, director of photography
Claude Langlois, Editor and Sound Designer
Patricia Bergeron, Producer
Denys Desjardins, Filmmaker-producer
Anne Tran, Assistant Art Director
Christine Falco, Productrice
Gina Hara, film director
Kays Mejri, Writer/director
Philippe Goldmann, Chef monteur
Charles Binamé, Réalisateur-scénariste
Cordell Barker, Animation Director
Leanne Allison, Documentary Filmmaker
Laura Webster, Assistant Accountant
Izabel Grondin, réalisatrice-scénariste
Adam McKay, Writer/Director
Alexandra Knowles, Filmmaker
Genevieve Albert, Réalisatrice
Félize Frappier, Producer
Sean Devlin, Writer / Director / Producer
A. Robichaud, Producer/1st Asst Dir
Charles Michaud, Réalisateur
Micky Marotti, Documentary Producer
Câmile Tremblay, Film editor
Josh Vignery, Location Manager
Daniel Lewis, Producer
Zoe Etzweiler, Production Assistant
Patricia Gomez Zlatar, 1st Assistant Accountant
Cooper Raiff, Director
Emanuel Licha, Réalisateur / Director
Paule Baillargeon, réalisatrice
jennifer Alleyn, Relisatrice et productrice
Clotilde De swarte, Filmmaker
Austin Dickinson, Writer/Producer
Catherine De Seve, Actor Producer
Ian Oliveri, Programmeur de films
David Michaels, Writer Director Producer
Russ Robertson, Post Production Executive
Patrick J. Nicolas, Actor
tony belizario, film marketer
Braden Jackson, Scriptwriter
Sophie Duguin, Costume Designer
Rudi Spallacci, Actor
Susan Chang, documentary filmmaker
Vincent L-Desjardins, Director, Media Finance
Sid Zanforlin, Filmmaker
Terra Wellington, Producer, Writer, Actor
James Whittingham, Influencer
D.W Waterson, Director
Helen Simmons, Producer
James Watson, Producer
Shirine Best, Producer
Farah Merani, Actor/Writer
Dave Udle, Photographer
David Gudjonsson, Actor
Sarah Williamson,
Taysha Fuller, Producer
Anna Griffin, Producer