Buffer Festival returned for its second annual three‑day run in Toronto’s theatre district, inviting more than a hundred YouTubers from around the world to premiere fresh videos and celebrate the work of others. The event fills multiple theatres with a cinema‑style crowd, presenting a diverse mix of action, comedy, sketches, educational pieces, and vlogs, all shown on the big screen to amplify the impact of online content.
During the weekend, screenings last about 90 minutes and are followed by two‑hour meetups where creators connect with fans and screening attendees. Among the participants are Jennxpenn, Charlieissocoollike, and JacksGap, joined by many others from different countries who bring their latest work to Toronto for this shared experience.
The second edition quickly sold out several screenings, underscoring growing appetite for this format. The festival owes much of its momentum to its founder, Corey Vidal, who helped shape Buffer Festival into a vivid showcase of online talent on the big stage.
Corey Vidal, a Canadian creator from Ontario, conceived Buffer Festival as a platform for YouTube creators to share their work in a festival‑like atmosphere. He describes the event as the YouTube version of the Toronto International Film Festival, built around theatrical screenings rather than traditional film releases. Each program presents a collection of shorter pieces—roughly an hour and a half in total—that span action, comedy, sketches, educational content, and vlogs. The emphasis is on high‑quality videos presented on the cinema screen, offering a communal viewing experience that is hard to replicate at home.
Asked about growth since the inaugural year, Vidal notes a clear expansion: more creators, a broader international footprint, and a slate that now includes filmmakers from the United Kingdom and the United States. He recalls that the first edition left some people unsure about the concept, but this year the idea clicked for filmmakers who poured effort into producing work ready for display on the big screen. The format has demonstrated its unique appeal in the world of online video.
The concept has strong roots in Vidal’s own background. He hails from Ontario and has long attended the Toronto International Film Festival, drawn to red carpets, premieres, and conversations with actors and directors. That experience prompted a question that would shape Buffer Festival: why not bring that cinematic energy to YouTube? He believed that high‑quality online work deserved a shared, theatrical audience, and he was determined to deliver a venue where work could be appreciated at full loudness and scale. The appetite among fans and creators for this kind of experience has grown, and ticket demand has reflected that enthusiasm.
The screenings themselves are a highlight for Vidal, who views the theatre as a place where the energy of a room full of friends can transform a video into a communal moment. The buzz before the show, the glow of the screens, and the collective laughter or gasps from five hundred people create a distinct magic that home viewing rarely conjures. It is this atmosphere, more than anything, that fuels his passion for the project and keeps bringing audiences back year after year.
One of Vidal’s most famous works, the Star Wars Acapella Tribute, stands as his most popular video to date, with millions of views. The idea drew on a long‑running lip‑sync trend and his own love for Star Wars. He collaborated with an acapella group and produced a lip‑sync video set to an acapella track. The video began as a casual project, without expectations of broad visibility. It was featured on YouTube’s Canadian homepage, then on the global homepage, and its popularity opened doors to sponsorships and new opportunities. That breakthrough helped steer his career toward producing more short films, skits, and interactive videos through his company, with Buffer Festival becoming the flagship project that encapsulates his creative direction.
Vidal’s collaboration with Lucasfilm added another layer to Buffer Festival. The team was invited to contribute content tied to the Star Wars Episode VII cast announcement, an opportunity that included a trip to Burbank and filming on Star Wars sets. The collaboration reinforced Vidal’s belief in the power of big‑screen presentation for YouTube content and highlighted the festival as a hub where major studio partnerships can form around online video culture. A Star Wars screening featuring fan films and new YouTube premieres was scheduled as part of the festival’s lineup, drawing enthusiastic crowds and expanding the event’s cross‑genre appeal.
Tickets remain available for this year’s Buffer Festival screenings, inviting audiences to witness the breadth of creator work showcased on the cinema screen. A Star Wars fan‑film screening was set for October 17 at 8:00 PM, offering fans a special gathering that blends fan culture with professional production values.
Photo Credit: Corey Vidal