From left, Andrea Riseborough, Madonna and Abbie Cornish pose for photographers at the premiere of Madonna's latest film, W.E., at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 12. (Richard Budman/Cadillac Festival Insider)
By Manori Ravindran
Richard Budman has one big regret. Three years ago, the photographer was taking a break between TIFF press conferences at the Sutton Place Hotel when a car pulled up next to his.
"Think we should shoot that?" Budman asked his colleague.
"Nah, it's the cast of some small Indian movie," replied the other photographer.
That day, Budman didn't take a single shot of the cast from Slumdog Millionaire, Danny Boyle's sleeper that would go on to win the festival's People Choice Award and, ultimately, Best Picture at the 2009 Academy Awards.
"It was the biggest mistake," he says.
These days, the Toronto photographer doesn't miss a single opportunity. Though he's been covering the festival in some capacity for 10 years - from video clips to news to what he calls "paparazzi shots" - he now works as a Festival Insider for Cadillac, TIFF's official sponsor, covering major press conferences and red carpets.
"It's allowed me to understand and see TIFF from a number of perspectives, and how it's grown so much." he says. "Now there's ten times more cameras than ten years ago. It's really media-saturated."
The documentary The Tall Man tells the story of Cameron Doomadgee, an Australian Aborigine who died in a jail cell 45 minutes after his questionable arrest. (Richard Budman/Cadillac Festival Insider)After a decade of photographing the festival, Budman knows better than anybody what a heavy-hitter TIFF has become on the international film circuit. As it has evolved, he says, so have his competitors. "When I think of 2005 to 2007, I was covering TIFF not so much on the red carpets or those official spots, but from a paparazzi perspective," he says. "[Taking photos of stars] shopping on the street, etc. You would never see Entertainment Tonight or eTalk covering it, but now you would absolutely see it."
Camaraderie among competitors
This year, things haven't been any less chaotic for Budman, whose day consists of either shooting press conferences, interviews and portraits, or covering red carpets and parties. Photographers get a daily "camera call" sheet, which tells them exactly what's happening throughout the day. Once he chooses where he wants to be, getting the prize photograph is about luck, timing and a celebrity's willingness.
"Politeness goes a long way, and positioning is everything," Budman says.
He also notes that there is a stark pecking order in place among photographers, many of whom have tremendous respect for colleagues at WireImage, Reuters and Getty. When working alongside these professionals, he says there's an understanding that they should be allowed their space.
"These guys need to get the best photos," he says. "These are the photos that will go out to worldwide magazines and newspapers."
Despite the competitive nature of the job, Budman says all the waiting that's involved in preparing for a shoot generates a unique camaraderie among photographers.
"It looks real glamorous, but the job isn't necessarily that glamorous," he says. "There's lots of waiting involved; being cooped up in a small little room shoulder to shoulder in adverse weather conditions...You build up camaraderie because you're waiting for hours."
This year, with the TIFF Bell Lightbox fully operational, Budman says organizers accomplished their mission. As most festival-goers can attest, many of the major events and screenings took place along King Street, where Budman also found himself on many occasions.
It was during one of those evenings when things came full circle for the photographer.
"You can generally sense when something is about to happen," he says. "You can tell. The volunteers link arms, and there's police. I could sense there would be an arrival here. Then the car pulls up and Frieda Pinto walks out with Dev Patel, holding hands."
This time around, Budman got his photograph.
