The Toronto International Film Festival Group (TIFFG) is expanding its Film Circuit initiative beyond Canada, backing events in Europe, Egypt and Mexico and three events in the US.

Launched in 1992, the Film Circuit is an alternative distribution system for Canadian and international independent films in over 120 communities across Canada and abroad. Many of the films screening on the Circuit screened at the Toronto festival.

Canadian Film Festival Mexico (June 13-17) will feature, amongst other titles, screenings of Atom Egoyan's Ararat, Guy Bennett's Punch and Wiebke von Carolsfeld's Marion Bridge, winner of Toronto 2002's Best First Canadian Film prize.

Several of the films toured the UK earlier this year and will screen at the Manchester Film Festival in June.

In July, the Circuit is programming titles for the Festival of Canadian Films at Madrid's Casa de America and the Filmoteca Espanola. Another festival of Canadian films is slated for Cairo in the autumn. Circuit director Cam Haynes told Screen Daily that talks are underway for similar initiatives in Italy and France.

On the US front, the Circuit is backing the launch of a new film festival in Beaver Creek, Colorado (Oct. 3-5). It will also programme Canadian and independent films for the Reno Film Festival in Nevada (Nov. 6-9) and is confirming sites in Boston and elsewhere in New England for October.