The Toronto International Film Festival increasingly places an emphasis on the international aspect in its name.

Toronto programming chief Anita Lee explained to Variety that the move is a response to the rise of younger audiences, which is driving the post-pandemic box office rebound and changing audience tastes for both independent theaters and film festivals in the U.S.

“Our festival audience has gotten younger and younger audiences are showing up for the non-English language international arthouse films,” Lee told Variety, adding that it was Toronto's “biggest growth and shift” in attendance.

There are numerous drivers for this evolution, Lee said, including the fact that audiences are consuming more international content. In recent years, there has been a new breed of “crossover or slightly more accessible international arthouse films,” she added, citing Ruben Östlund’s “Triangle of Sadness.” “That’s on the rise. There’s more attention in the industry for films that could work in that way,” she added.