Brad Pitt is expected to arrive at the Toronto International Film Festival to promote his new film Babel. And you can count on Tom Sandler being there when he arrives.

Sandler, who has been shooting photographs of celebrities for 20 years, is just one of hundreds of photographers who will make a living from the appearance of Hollywood celebrities at the film festival.

Toronto photographer Tom Sandler is hoping to get a shot of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
CBC TV

With big-ticket stars like Penelope Cruz, Heath Ledger and Russell Crowe all at or expected to arrive in Toronto before the festival wraps on Sept. 16, the industry of celebrity spotting and filming is expected to gear up as well. Even former U.S. president Bill Clinton is set to appear at a party Saturday night, according to a report in the New York Daily News.

For Sandler, it's an exciting time.

"We happen to have amazing things going on, amazing people come and I'm very fortunate that I happen to be a documenter of this time," he told CBC News.

Although he admits he's been "whacked a couple of times" in the line of duty, Sandler doesn't see himself as one of the paparazzi, work he considers interesting but too dangerous.

He's more likely to be at a gala presentation rather than in someone's backyard, and clearly sees his role in a more benign light.

But like most celebrity photographers, he's not above tracking down a movie star at dinner.

"I got a very clandestine call when I was at a dinner shooting at the festival a couple of years ago from somebody at one of the studios who said, 'I'm going to let you in on a little tip. Nicole Kidman is having dinner at Easy and the Fifth and you should probably get down there because she's going to finish and be coming out the back door in about half an hour,'" said Sandler.

"So I said this is too good to be true ... there is a god of paparazzi."

Like every other photographer at the festival, Sandler will have one eye on Pitt to see if he arrives at the premiere of his film Babel Saturday night with girlfriend and Mr. & Mrs. Smith star Angelina Jolie.

"She'll probably be here, but she'll probably be well hidden," he said. "Or maybe they'll sneak out for dinner. But someone will know about it. And if she is here, someone will get it. That's for sure. I hope it's me."