Film is a global industry, but it is also a global community. For members of the international film community, the Festival is as much about sharing current cinematic accomplishments with audiences and peers as it is about developing the vital relationships on which next year's accomplishments will be built.

Over the past 26 years, countless professional relationships have been conceived at the Festival. But slipping in and out of screenings doesn't allow for the extended conversations on which genuine relationships are based. In 1998, the very successful Producers Lounge concept was initiated to foster a distinctive environment for producers to connect with like-minded colleagues.

Producers Lounge is a series of casual cocktail environments that take place over the course of the Festival. The setting for the receptions, Panorama Lounge, is almost as great a draw as the people you'll meet. Located on the 51st floor of the Manulife Centre, Panorama Lounge provides a stunning view of the Toronto cityscape. It is the ideal atmosphere to forge the kind of meaningful connections that transform the film industry into a community.

Producers Lounge is sponsored by Motion Picture Bond Company Inc., Canadian Film and Television Production Association and NABET 700 CEP.