For many movie lovers, the Fan Zones at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) offer something priceless: a free, front-row view of Hollywood’s biggest stars as they walk the red carpet.
Every year, crowds gather along the barricades outside of TIFF venues like Roy Thomson Hall and the Royal Alexandra Theatre, some arriving hours early just for a glimpse, a selfie, or an autograph.
This year is no different, as excited fans line up each day in hopes of catching a wave or a wink from the likes of Keanu Reeves, Jamie Lee Curtis, Channing Tatum, and many more. On day two of the festival, it was all about the cast of boxing biopic Christy, starring Sydney Sweeney, Ben Foster and Katy O’Brian.
@nowtoronto Sydney Sweeney and Christy Martin hit up the red carpet for "Christy," a biopic about the accomplished boxer. 🥊#TIFF50 #TIFF2025 #SydneySweeney #Christy ♬ original sound – Now Toronto
For some, the experience lived up to the hype.
One Toronto resident, Ioana Ricu, was on cloud nine after managing to snag a selfie with Sweeney outside of the Visa Screening Room at Princess of Wales Theatre.
“Oh, my God. I knew that she was coming today, and I was like, ‘I can’t miss this,’” she swooned on Friday. “I love her!”
Ricu says that she’s been having an outstanding first time experience at TIFF after seeing Ryan Reynolds the day before, and is already excited for more celeb sightings through the rest of the festival.
“I want to see Angelina Jolie, and Scarlett Johannson, I’m a Marvel fan!,” she said.
But not everyone walked away starstruck. Others described disorganization, long waits with little communication, and unclear rules around access.
Another resident, Samira Garaeva arrived at 10 a.m. for the 12 p.m. check in, and was stunned to find out that the Fan Zone is now ticketed through Ticketmaster, as opposed to past years where fans in line would receive a wristband.
“I didn’t know where I could stand to wait. It was confusing,” Garaeva said.
“Last year, it was more organized and easier to see celebrities… Now, you need to buy tickets on Ticketmaster, and they sell out in one minute.”
Despite the challenges, Garaeva still hopes to see some of her on-screen faves throughout the festival, as last year she was able to catch Selena Gomez and Elizabeth Olsen on the red carpet.
“I’m glad that we have this opportunity to see the celebrities,” she added.
Chaitanya Munji also encountered a similar issue in not knowing ahead of time that the Fan Zone was ticketed. Still managing to get in to see Sweeney, his only wish was that she could have spent a bit more time with the fans who waited hours to see her.
“I enjoyed the experience… I just thought that she would have stayed a little longer, like maybe 10 to 15 minutes,” he said. “I was hoping for maybe a picture and a signature, but maybe next time.”
Vanessa Sanginiti, a long-time attendee at TIFF, says overall she enjoys the Fan Zone, whether or not she has the opportunity to get up close and personal with a celebrity.
“It’s always so fun to just be at TIFF and be surrounded by people who love film as much as I do,” she said.
While she came out to see Sweeney and unfortunately didn’t get the chance to meet her due to the pushy crowds, Sanginiti says that’s just a regular part of the experience.
“It’s really hit or miss when it comes to these Fan Zones, because you never know where the actor is going to stop, if they’re going to sign or take photos,” she explained, adding that she met Nick Robinson and Charli xcx the day prior.
“I just really enjoy the adrenaline that comes with the possibility of meeting them or not.”
TIFF runs until Sept. 14. For a full schedule of shows, click here.
