On February 10, the UK’s National Film and Television School (NFTS) played host to a figure who has shaped the global film conversation for more than three decades. Cameron Bailey, CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), delivered a Masterclass presented by Rolex – an exchange that quietly affirmed the Swiss maison’s long-standing dedication to the art and evolution of cinema.
Since 2025, Rolex has been the first-ever partner of the NFTS Masterclass programme, a globally respected forum that invites students into close dialogue with some of the industry’s most influential thinkers and makers. NFTS is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading schools for screen arts, with alumni boasting more than 60 Oscar nominations and over 100 Bafta (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) wins; in 2018, the institution itself received the Bafta for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema. For a brand synonymous with precision and legacy, the alignment feels instinctive.
Bailey’s trajectory embodies the arc of cultural stewardship that Rolex seeks to champion. Born in London and raised between England and Barbados before emigrating to Canada, he began as a film critic and joined TIFF in 1990. Rising through the ranks – from co-director to artistic director, and ultimately CEO in 2021 – he now stands at the helm of one of the world’s most significant public film festivals.
A voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters, Bailey brings both authority and perspective. “At TIFF, we’re always looking for exciting new voices in cinema, and for ways to share the powerful culture and reach of this art form globally. I’m glad for the opportunity to sit down with NFTS students so we can learn from each other, and I’m thankful that Rolex, a valued TIFF partner, can help make this possible,” says Bailey.
In conversation with Sandra Hebron, former director of the London Film Festival, Bailey examined the evolving role of festivals in an era shaped by shifting distribution models and global audiences. The discussion – filmed by NFTS alumnus Marcus Anthony and attended by hundreds of students at the school’s campus near London – was as much about opportunity as it was about responsibility.
Rolex’s involvement began with the NFTS fundraising gala in 2024 and now forms part of its broader Perpetual Arts Initiative, which spans architecture, cinema, dance, literature, music, theatre and the visual arts. The brand’s long-standing ties to the film world – from its support of the Academy and the Oscars to its partnership with film at New York’s Lincoln Center and the TIFF Tribute Awards – underscore a belief that artistic heritage must be actively sustained.
By supporting the NFTS Masterclass programme, Rolex does more than sponsor a stage. It invests in individuals who will define cinema’s next reel – ensuring that creative ambition is not only celebrated but also passed on to future generations.
Read more on South China Morning Post
