I Don't Need To Explain My Art To You (But I Reserve The Right To Criticize Yours!): #AdaTIFFmems

Ok, I can't let this 40 day trip down festival memory lane go by with an entry on Sasha.

Most of my friends probably know Sasha through me (or maybe Mel...), but I actually met her during my early years with TIFF.

Sasha volunteered for a variety of things, but I remember her best from the Sprockets (now TIFF Kids) recruitment sessions. Perhaps it was because the group of helpers was smaller, or there were fewer people signing up and more opportunities to talk, but the bulk of the conversations I had with Sasha, her sister Sonya, and our mutual friend Valesca (same girl who was with me for the Don McKellar incident lol) were during these early springtime sessions.

Sasha was a huge documentary fan, another early memory I have of her is running into her and Valesca in Yorkville during Hot Docs time, and Sasha was trying to convince me to come along to see Murderball with them. I declined that day, but of course after seeing the doc later on, wished that I had gone to the screening as Sasha suggested.

Even after I stopped seeing Sasha around TIFF (I say this, but in actual fact, even after she wasn't really volunteering, she would still join us for screenings and mysteriously appear at our parties lol) we continued to keep in touch (thanks social media!)

In the late 00's I organized a weekly pick-up ultimate frisbee group and one Monday Sasha walked onto the field! She continued to come out to frisbee and would join us at various social events - trust me when I say back then there were a LOT of social events.

There are many things I admire about Sasha, some things that I always admired and some things that I came to understand and admire as I got a little older.

Being independent, financially secure, and confident afforded Sasha many freedoms, something that I continually looked up to her for. Sasha would appear at events with us as she pleased, never making excuses why she could or could not be somewhere. She loved to shop and travel (a girl after my own heart), one time booking a last minute trip halfway around the world...

I was heading to Hong Kong to see some family and she surprised me by telling me she was also going to be there around the same time. I regret that we were not able to meet up during that trip, I remember phoning her at her hotel in Hong Kong, where she told me about purchasing gold sneakers and having a traditional Chinese dress custom-made.

Another favourite memory was the long chain of text messages we changed trying to figure out the best way for her to pack her Jimmy Choo shoes on a trip to Italy.

When I was in my 20's I often felt like if I left a party too early I would miss out on something, Sasha never felt this way. If she wanted to she leave, she left. She had better things to do with her time. This, and not feeling obliged to provide lengthy apologies and excuses for missing a dinner/get-together/etc. are two things I've only learned in recent years and so my respect for Sasha only grows with the years.

Sasha was the same age as I am now when she passed away from cancer, her family, loved ones, and friends miss her dearly and keep her alive through our fondest memories. She is in my thoughts within and outside of TIFF, though without the festival I would have never gotten to know her and so this is yet another huge reason I'm indebted to the festival.

After her passing, a group of us decided to celebrate Sasha's memory and her love of film by having a chair in the TIFF Bell Lightbox building dedicated to her. So during TIFF 15 if you find yourself catching a movie in Cinema 1, Row H, seat 13, check the back of it for a memorial plaque in memory of my dear friend.