Rachel Helzerman is a Film Studies major from Ypsilanti, Michigan, who attended the 50th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September 2025 as part of the education abroad program offered by the Film Studies Program at Michigan State University. Helzerman wrote about this experience in the following article originally published by MSU’s Office for Education Abroad.
Attending the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) was a big step for me on all fronts. I’m certainly a quieter, more reserved person, and so, the thought of leaving the country for the first time, especially without my friends or family, was nerve-racking.
In the days leading up to our departure from Wells Hall, I was double, triple, quadruple checking that I had completed everything on my pre-departure to-do list. All the anxiety I built up around it, however, was completely unfounded. As soon as I got on the bus, it all melted away, and I was just so excited to take advantage of this opportunity.
TIFF is an opportunity—much more than a trip or an “easy” way to get credits (note: it’s not easy to get this credit, but it is fun, and sometimes that makes it feel easy). Every experience, even seeing not-so-great films or getting turned away at the last second while in a rush line, is a learning experience. You’re constantly enveloped in a community of film lovers, and being around that love and dedication to film as both an art and a study fosters your own love and dedication.
At industry conferences and Q&As with casts and crews after premieres, you get to learn from some of the most talented working professionals in the industry. While you may be so starstruck that you forget to write anything down (like one of my professors and I were when we saw Wagner Moura at the premiere of The Secret Agent), you’ll carry what they say and how they say it with you. Even now, I’m smiling just at the reminder that, yes, I attended TIFF and, yes, I saw the Wagner Moura. It’s amazing.
You learn from the people you meet in rush lines, too. The people around you love film as much as you do, and some of them, like the retired film professor and the upcoming student filmmaker I met, can provide invaluable insight.
Rush lines, for those interested in attending TIFF, are how MSU students get into screenings; you line up and wait for ticketholders to not show up so you can get their tickets. For the more popular screenings, you’ll have to wait in line for hours to get a chance at getting in. I waited in line for No Other Choice for six hours, and it was, without a doubt, worth it.
You can also connect with your peers and professors. Some of my fondest memories of TIFF are playing Uno while in line, enthusing about film one-on-one with professors, and trying to recreate a TikTok of Bob Odenkirk dancing before the premiere of Normal.
TIFF is worth it. It is, by far, the highlight of my academic career and young adult life so far. From the ever-present smell of popcorn to the constant, enthusiastic chatter about films, it’s a wonderful environment. If given the opportunity, you shouldn’t pass it up.
