Actress Keri Russell signs autographs at the Ryerson Theatre during last year's TIFF. This year's festival begins Sept. 9. (Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)

By Roger Rousseau, citizen contributor

Every year, my wife's birthday falls smack in the middle of TIFF. And, every year, on the first Saturday of the festival, I find myself rushing away from her birthday celebration - even when the party is in our own apartment - to attend a screening at TIFF. It may seem callous to some, but my wife honestly doesn't mind. She's a sociable person, who has plenty of friends to celebrate with. She knows that I love her, and that it's just bad timing that her birthday party should coincide with, for example, the world premiere screening of George A. Romero's latest zombie film (as was the case for both Diary of the Dead in 2007, and Survival of the Dead in 2009). And besides, I'm sure that a little part of her wishes she could see these films too.

You see, for die-hard festival-goers, TIFF isn't just an event you attend, it's something that becomes a part of your life. Like Thanksgiving, Christmas and  Star Wars Day, TIFF is a time of celebration, rife with customs and rituals that vary from person to person. Every festival-goer has a different experience than the other; and every year is different from the one before. But, what all dedicated festival-goers have in common is a shared passion for film, and the will - for a week and half - to give up all semblance of a normal life.

A certain amount of malnutrition, sleep deprivation, over-caffeination, and stress affects all serious TIFF attendees at one point or another. And thus, everyone loses their marbles a little bit. I've seen art-house types get starstruck at the sight of George Clooney and the like. And I've seen fans of Hollywood fare completely mesmerized by foreign or art-house films. And, TIFF isn't just a festival for extreme cinephiles to enjoy, it's a festival that the whole city can enjoy. Whether you want to scope out the stars, or simply see a single film that really excites you, TIFF will satisfy.

I know I'm sending a lot of love TIFF's way, but don't mistake this as a promotional push. As with any event of this size, there will always be flaws and disappointments. But year after year, the positives constantly outweigh the negatives. TIFF is one of the world's top film festivals, and over the course of eleven days the entire cinematic world will arrive at our doorstep. So unless you're a complete curmudgeon, then it's nearly impossible to feel anything other than excitement as TIFF fever descends upon the city. And, even for the curmudgeon there must be at least a smidgen of excitement over the prospect of a Woody Allen sighting. And come on, what's not to like about Ellen Page?

Another reason for my excitement is that after a decade of attending TIFF, a whole new dimension will be added to my festival experience: this blog. Throughout the festival I will be blogging and tweeting about my experiences, however, it won't be from the perspective of a journalist, filmmaker or celebrity insider, but as a regular festival-goer. I'll be talking with other attendees and drawing from my own experiences to provide you with a glimpse of TIFF from the inside; not from the red carpet or premiere parties, but from the ticket holder lines and theatre seats. For those who have been, will be or wish they could be a TIFF festival-goer, this blog's for you.

You can follow Roger throughout #TIFF10 on Twitter at @roger_writes