Toronto outdoor picture show PRESENTs

TOPS & FRIENDS

Summer 2021 at fort york

Over the course of Summer 2021, Toronto Outdoor Picture Show (TOPS) proudly presented TOPS & Friends, a five-week programme of film screenings celebrating community and cinema in the great outdoors. After successfully presenting Toronto’s first in-person festival of 2020, safely and memorably, we returned once again to the walls of Fort York National Historic Site. 

This time we brought a few friends along for the show! TOPS launched the season with a three-night opening weekend beginning Saturday, July 31, and throughout the month of August we hosted screenings guest-curated by a who’s who of Toronto’s local film festivals and arts organizations, including Inside Out, Vector Festival, Toronto Palestine Film Festival, Regent Park Film Festival, Breakthroughs Film Festival, Goethe-Institut Toronto, Sou Sou (by Bonjay’s Alanna Stuart), and Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival. Finally, TOPS wrapped up the summer with a bang: a jubilant five-night closing weekend of movies, plus live music performances each night from local indie artists, curated by Wavelength Music Series.

All public health protocols were followed closely and groups of attendees were physically spaced out to ensure a safe and enjoyable event. Attendance was capped at 500 people. You can find out more about our event protocols in our FAQ here.

TOPS & FRIENDS at FORT YORK
TICKETED SERIES

Admission: Free same-day tickets were available day of screening at 12PM.
No admission without an advance ticket.
Donations make our programming possible

Venue
"Walled Fort" of Fort York National Historic Site - entry at west gates of 100 Garrison Road  

Event details
Times range with the changes in sunset hour. Click individual event pages for gate opening and screening times for each evening.
COVID-19 on-site protocols - please read before attending
Event & ticket terms and conditions
Snacks and alcoholic beverages for sale (no outside alcohol permitted)
BYOBlanket & Chairs
Please see the accessibility features of Fort York
Films are screened with captioning unless otherwise noted
Your dogs are welcome but must be on a leash at all times.

FOLLOW US
@TOpictureshow
#TOPSandFriends
#TOPS2021

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#511 Bathurst & #509 Harbourfront Streetcars / #63 Ossington & #121 Fort York-Esplanade Bus Routes

WHAT TO EXPECT AT A TOPS 2021 SCREENING

All TOPS policies and safety protocols are subject to change, and will be updated in accordance with public health guidelines as they evolve. TOPS will communicate all updates with ticket holders ahead of the event, and all protocols will be posted at the event’s entrance.

A: TOPS wants to ensure a safe and comfortable environment for all guests, staff and filmmakers in attendance. TOPS events remain free to attend, though this year they are ticketed in advance to ensure the maximum allowable number of attendees is not exceeded, and for contact tracing. You can read our Ticket Terms & Conditions here (which are subject to change at any point).

Pre-registered tickets are required for entry, and there will not be a rush line. A small number of additional tickets will be made available on each festival day at 12 PM for that evening’s screening. All film and ticket links below. 

Please note: Events may be intentionally oversold (there are always a few people who don’t show up). Your ticket is not guaranteed so we suggest you arrive at least 30 minutes before sunset to avoid disappointment, as the event has limited capacity.

A: No, this is not a drive-in! This is a good old fashioned Toronto Outdoor Picture Show event, where you can come on foot, transit, or bike, and enjoy great cinema in the open air with your friends and neighbours. But since capacity is limited and we want to ensure that all attendees have necessary personal space, tickets must be secured in advance. Advance reservations are a provincial requirement in the Roadmap to Reopen.

A:  In Step 3 of the Roadmap to Reopen, TOPS at Fort York will operate at no more than 50% capacity. Attendance may fluctuate over the festival period, but will begin at a significantly reduced 400-person capacity, with ample space for physical distancing. Any changes to onsite health and safety measures will be communicated to ticketholders.

Each attendee must come with their own seating: blanket or chairs; and groups must sit at least the distance of one blanket (2m) from the next group. Fort York affords ample space for all attendees to comfortably have the breathing room that they need to feel safe.

TOPS will maintain physically distanced queues for other activities around the event, including at the entrance, washrooms and the TOPS concessions & merch tent.

A: : At this time, we ask that guests wear masks whenever 2 metre distancing is not possible:

• At the entrance, when presenting your ticket.

• At any point when you need to enter a building (eg, to use the washroom).

• When purchasing concessions or visiting vendor booths.

• When engaging face-to-face with people outside your group.

Guests should come with their own masks. Please be very respectful of personal space, and the comfort level of others when enjoying the festival venue.

A: Yes! TOPS is fortunately a very low-contact event, and onsite restrooms will be made available for our event, open throughout each evening. Hand washing stations will be located in the washrooms and hand sanitizer at the TOPS concessions & merch tent. Hand sanitizer can also be found at the entrance. As the restrooms are indoors, guests must wear masks to enter these facilities.

A:  Please remember that on-site attendance is limited, so we want to make sure all tickets are used. If you or anyone in your party can’t make it to your event (due to illness, or other unforeseen circumstances), you can cancel and return your free ticket up to 24 hrs before your event on the ticketing site. If you can’t make it to your event and are unable to return your ticket through the Universe platform for any reason, please email tickets@topictureshow.com so we can release your ticket. 

TOPS asks ticket holders to please self-screen ahead of their event for any symptoms of COVID-19 or other illness, and to stay home if they aren’t feeling well or believe they have been exposed to the virus. If you are onsite and begin to feel any symptoms, please wear your face mask and go home promptly to rest and monitor your symptoms.

A: TOPS events are accessible to most audiences, and all screenings feature open captioning unless otherwise noted. You can read our complete accessibility features for this venue here, and please don’t hesitate to email us at info@topictureshow.com if your particular needs are not addressed.

A: Yes! Dogs are welcome to join for the evening - just please make sure they’re well behaved and you pick up after them. Dogs must be on a leash at all times.

.Your food picnics are welcome too (food will also be available for sale) but since this is a licensed event, outside alcohol is not allowed (bags will be checked). Please ensure that no garbage is left behind on the grounds.

Bottled water is not sold at any screening and all patrons are encouraged to bring refillable water bottles. 

You can bring your bicycle into the fort with you, and you are responsible for watching it. There will be no bike valet.

The ticket entrance for Fort York is at the west gates of the “Walled Fort”, 100 Garrison Road.

#511 Bathurst (this route has detours) & #509 Harbourfront Streetcars / #63 Ossington & #121 Fort York-Esplanade Bus Routes