The 2024 SUMMER SEASON HAS COME TO A CLOSE. THANK YOU FOR JOING US!
FOLLOW TOPS’ NEWSLETTER FOR ALL 2025 PROGRAMMING UPDATES!
TORONTO OUTDOOR PICTURE SHOW PRESENTED
ON THE JOB
SUMMER 2024 IN PARKS ACROSS THE CITY
From June 19 through August 25, 2024, Toronto Outdoor Picture Show (TOPS) presented a 21-date open-air festival programme at our four home parks across Toronto: Fort York, Christie Pits, Corktown Common, and Bell Manor Park.
Our 14th annual programme, titled On the Job, highlighted a variety of workers and their backdrops on the big screen, all summer long: domestic labourers and manual labourers, street workers and factory workers, shop-keepers and camp counselors; from office spaces to call centres, job sites to heist jobs, front lines to picket lines. Whether conventional, fantastical, or radical, On the Job considered the ways our work impacts our lives and how we form communities with the people we spend our workdays (or nights) with.
The On the Job programme included highlights such as Sorry to Bother You (a surreal science-fiction satire about racism, class politics, and labour organizing, by filmmaker, musician, and activist Boots Riley), Steven Soderbergh’s unjustly overlooked cat ‘n mouse heist romance Out of Sight, record store clerk cult favourite Empire Records, Wim Wenders’ 2023 Oscar nominated drama Perfect Days, about a Japanese custodian who is more than his profession, and local award-winning feature Someone Lives Here, by this year’s Spotlight Filmmaker Zack Russell, which documents one man’s calling to improve the living conditions of Toronto’s unhoused residents.
All TOPS events are accessible and open to the public, with no barriers to entry. TOPS is always free to all, and charitable donations make this possible.
The On the Job programme is curated by Artistic & Executive Director Emily Reid, TOPS co-founder Felan Parker, and programming contributors Rachel Barclay, Isabella Brown, Tika Francis, Rafia Hassan, David Osubronie, and Jon Petrychyn.
Click on your neighbourhood series below or view the complete TOPS 2024 calendar at a glance here.
FORT YORK
OPENING WEEK
JUNE 19-26
CHRISTIE PITS
SUNDAYS
JULY 7 - AUG 25
CORKTOWN COMMON
THURSDAYS
JULY 11 - AUG 1
BELL MANOR PARK
AUGUST 15-17
SPOTLIGHT FILMMAKER - ZACK RUSSELL
TOPS’ 2024 programme includes its third annual Spotlight Filmmaker, highlighting the work of Toronto writer-director Zack Russell. Previously a creator of fictional sci fi short films, Zack Russell unexpectedly jumped into the documentary genre with his first feature film, Someone Lives Here. His film documents the vocation of local carpenter Khaleel Seivwright who made it his job to build over a hundred tiny shelters for Toronto’s unhoused citizens. Read more about Zack’s films here.
TOPS at PARKS ACROSS THE CITY
Admission: All events are free to the public, no tickets or advanced registration are required to attend
Charitable donations make our programming possible
Event details:
Showtime at sundown
BYOBlanket & Chairs
Films are screened with open captioning (more accessibility features here)
Click here to read all film content advisories
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT TORONTO OUTDOOR PICTURE SHOW
TOPS is pleased to return to public parks this summer, with events that are open to all who want to attend. Please click on the questions below to get more information about attending Toronto Outdoor Picture Show.
Q: IS THIS EVENT TICKETED?
A: No. TOPS events are free to attend, and do not require a ticket, and there are no barriers to entry. As a charitable organization, we encourage you to make a donation if you are able. Support from community members is crucial to keeping TOPS accessible to everyone.
Attendance at events is first come, first to get a great spot. Come early, bring your blanket or folding chairs, and enjoy some eats & treats while the sun sets. Films begin at sundown.
Q: WHAT TIME DOES THE FILM START?
A: Films always begin at sundown, which changes over the course of the summer. Check the individual event pages for the approximate film start time.
TOPS welcomes you to come join us in the early evening to set up your blanket, enjoy a picnic or food truck meal, and stop by the TOPS tent for some popcorn and treats! Please note that the screening area fills up long before showtime at many screenings, so make an evening of it!
Q: WILL THE EVENT PROCEED IF IT RAINS OR IF THERE IS BAD WEATHER?
A: If the show can go on, it does! TOPS very rarely cancels events before the early evening on an inclement weather day. Screenings can continue in some rain and wind, so pack appropriate clothing for light rain or cool temperatures if you’ll be joining us. If we must cancel, TOPS will communicate the cancellation on our social media channels. Instagram stories are the most up-to-date communication.
Please do not send inquiries about the forecast, we can’t answer them. Just cross your fingers, pack an umbrella, and dress well!
Q: WILL THERE BE FOOD AND BEVERAGE OPTIONS FOR SALE?
A: Every event will include concessions – snacks and non-alcoholic beverages – for sale at the TOPS tent, and events at Fort York, Christie Pits, and Corktown Common will have food vendor offerings as well. Visit our Instagram on each event day to find out which food vendors will be onsite that evening.
Your outside food picnics are also welcome. Please ensure that no garbage is left behind so that our public parks are maintained.
If you are attending a screening at Fort York, please note that these events are licensed for alcohol sales by TOPS, and no outside alcohol will be allowed inside the gated event spaces. Alcoholic drinks will be available for purchase at Fort York, though not at city park venues.
All patrons are encouraged to bring refillable water bottles and use the available water fountains. There is no available water fountain at Fort York, and TOPS will have bottled water available for sale at those events.
Q: ARE DOGS ALLOWED AT THE EVENT?
A: Yes! Domestic pets are welcome to join for the evening - just please make sure they’re well behaved and you pick up after them.
Q: DO I BRING MY OWN SEATING?
A: Yes, all guests must bring their own blankets or folding chairs to sit in the grass. Events at Fort York, Corktown Common and Bell Manor Park are flat, and at Christie Pits are at the base of a natural amphitheatre. Chairs are less suitable at Christie Pits due to the layout, but can be set up along the flat surface at the top of the hill. We hope that guests will be considerate of others when setting up their spot in front of folks who have already put down their blanket for the night.
Q: HOW DO I GET THERE? IS THERE PARKING?
A: We encourage active transportation to our events, and most patrons walk, cycle or take TTC. Each screening’s webpage details the address of each event, and main TTC routes.
Bicycles are the responsibility of their owners and should be locked to municipal bike racks, as they can be a serious safety hazard in the dark if left lying on the ground within the audience who may be circulating.
Patrons who choose to drive to events can identify Green P lots near the venues at this link.
Q: WILL WASHROOMS AND SANITIZER BE AVAILABLE ONSITE?
A: Yes, there are onsite restrooms at all events. Hand washing stations will be located in or next to the indoor washrooms or portable washrooms and hand sanitizer is available at the TOPS concessions & merch tent.
Please note that washroom facilities in public parks are serviced and operated by the City of Toronto, and hours of operation may be subject to change. Furthermore, the condition and amenities of facilities may range and are not the responsibility of Toronto Outdoor Picture Show.
Q: IS THIS A DRIVE-IN SERIES?
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.
Q: ARE ALL EVENTS ACCESSIBLE?
A: TOPS events are accessible to most audiences, and all screenings feature open captioning. Select films will be provided with an optional audio description feature, click here to learn more. You can read about the accessibility features for our 2024 venues here, and please don’t hesitate to email us at accessibility@topictureshow.com if your particular needs are not addressed. We will endeavour to support your needs if solutions are within our control.
Q: ARE THE FILMS FAMILY FRIENDLY?
A: TOPS curates its film programmes for a general audience, appealing to our broad attendance. There is something for everyone, which you’ll see here! Most attendees are adults, teens, and older children (given that screenings begin around 9PM), though there are a large number of films within the programme that have been selected specifically with families in mind. Each event’s web page details the content advisory for that screening so that you may make an informed decision about films will be best enjoyed by you and your family. Please visit TOpictureshow.com/content for content advisories for the complete programme in one place.