In Toronto for TIFF, but don't know how to navigate the fest? Overwhelmed by the selection of 399 films?

Go play in the street. We mean that in the nicest way possible.

For the first weekend of the Toronto International Film Festival, traffic is shut down along a stretch of the city's King Street, with cinema central — the TIFF Bell Lightbox — in the middle of it all. It's called Festival Street. Pedestrians take over, movie casts included (a few red-carpets are right off the street). And through 'til Monday, you can find entertainment for all ages: music, photo booths, street performers.

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"Festival Street is an opportunity for the Toronto International Film Festival to stretch its legs," says Nobu Adilman, the event's programmer. CBC Arts caught him en route to a dress rehearsal for one of Festival Street's special attractions, a ballet inspired by Frederick Wiseman's 1967 documentary, Titicut Follies. (Much of the featured programming has a cinematic tie-in.)

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"The festival is free, and it gives people an opportunity to experience TIFF, whether it's in activations like the Family Zone — which is like colouring books and getting your head shot drawn — or checking out experimental cinema, or just playing the piano."

Or just people watching.

Lynn Noel (and Zora the Dog)

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Daniel Reardon

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Christina Chow

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Vanessa Peszt

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Tija Coules

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Anthony Okwuosa

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Michael Zamroutian

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Nobu Adilman

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Follow CBC Arts on Instagram for more of the people and places of TIFF.