TIFF's artistic director wants you to leave your house and go to a movie

On TIFF's kickoff day, artistic director Cameron Bailey made his case for a night spent taking in a festival movie.

"We all have that desire to expand ourselves, and a festival experience can do that," he told Matt Galloway on CBC Radio's Metro Morning.

Bailey admits he also watches films at home, but calls the sense of discovery that comes with festival films "irreplaceable."

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Movie-going as a whole hasn't fared well of late. Even Cineplex, Canada's largest movie theatre chain, has struggled with dwindling attendance.

TIFF has also taken a hit, with attendance numbers for the 2016 festival down slightly, and year-round attendance at the Lightbox down by nearly 30 per cent.

But Bailey isn't daunted, arguing that what TIFF offers can't be found elsewhere.

He gave the example of The Price of Success, a French movie about the price of fame that will make its global premiere on Thursday evening.

"This is a film that will not be in theatres in most parts of Canada. It's your one opportunity to see it in the Elgin Theatre, this beautiful theatre, with other people, and share that experience and talk about it afterwards. That doesn't happen on a streaming service," he said.

Looking for inspiration to shut your laptop for the night? Bailey also recommends mother!, a new film by Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky.

"We have a little bit of a relationship with [Aronofsky,]" he explained. "He will sometimes have his producer fly out to show us a film and it's always, he just sends me a text that says 'he's coming'."

Watching mother!, "our jaws just dropped," said Bailey. "It was spectacular and amazing and shocking."

Bailey also addressed the possibility of replacing current festival CEOPiers Handling, who plans to step downafter 2018.

"I'm really happy with the job I have, and I've got 11 days to focus on," he said. "It's a long time before we have to face that question."