Hollywood strikes bring uncertainty to local businesses as Toronto film festival nears

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Toronto’s local business community is worried a pair of strikes impacting U.S. entertainment workers could put a damper on the city’s forthcoming film festival.

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They fear a strike by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists workers who walked off the job at midnight July 13 could stretch into the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

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When the SAG workers joined the Writers Guild of America on the picket line, it halted scores of international productions and immediately stopped the promotional work actors carry out for already completed films.

Julie Kwiecinski of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business says the strike’s continuation would leave many Toronto businesses without the annual lift the festival provides.

She says even if TIFF goes on, without stars walking red carpets, the impacts on their revenue would be tremendous.

While front of house manager Julius Chapple says Rodney’s Oyster House doesn’t get much business from TIFF, he says its neighbours stand to be impacted by the strike because they benefit from their celebrity visitors all year.