The Criterion Collection has established a permanent retail presence in Canada, opening a dedicated year-round section inside Cinema Cellar’s first bricks-and-mortar store in downtown Toronto.
Located at 129 John Street in the Entertainment District, the store is steps from TIFF Lightbox and Scotiabank Theatre. Its opening coincided with the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival and follows strong consumer response to Criterion’s previous temporary activations in the city.
During TIFF, Criterion is taking over the Cinema Cellar space with an extensive selection spanning its collection, along with branded merchandise. Criterion discs are being offered at 30 per cent off during the festival, while a dedicated section will remain inside Cinema Cellar year-round.
The arrangement gives Criterion a permanent Canadian retail home without requiring a standalone store. For Cinema Cellar, it puts one of physical media’s best-known collector brands at the centre of its move into storefront retail.
Cinema Cellar Moves Into Physical Retail
Cinema Cellar evolved from Unobstructed View, a longtime Canadian physical-media distributor. Blue Fox Entertainment Canada acquired the assets of Unobstructed View in late 2024, with the business subsequently operating as Cinema Cellar.
The Toronto location marks Cinema Cellar’s first bricks-and-mortar store, bringing Criterion together with other specialist film labels under one roof. The format targets consumers who continue to buy films on Blu-ray, 4K UHD and DVD.
Its location puts the retailer at the centre of Toronto’s film district. John Street is close to TIFF Lightbox and Scotiabank Theatre, with the surrounding area seeing significant pedestrian traffic during the Toronto International Film Festival.
Criterion Tested Toronto Demand
Criterion had already tested Toronto’s collector market before establishing a permanent presence.
The Criterion Mobile Closet made its first international stop at TIFF in September 2025. The travelling installation replicated the film closet at Criterion’s New York offices, known through the company’s Closet Picks video series.
More than 1,000 people visited the Mobile Closet during its four-day Toronto appearance. Demand was immediate. On opening day, visitors were instructed not to line up before 1:30 p.m. for a 3 p.m. opening; by 1:56 p.m., the line had reached capacity for the day.
Visitors could browse the collection, purchase up to three items at a 40 per cent discount and receive a Polaroid with their selections. The format turned buying physical media into an event built around discovery, scarcity and participation.
Criterion followed the TIFF appearance with another Toronto retail test. In November 2025, a Criterion Closet holiday pop-up opened at 356 King Street West beside TIFF Lightbox. The temporary location carried more than 100 films as well as merchandise and apparel and operated through December 31.
Within roughly a year, Criterion had progressed from a high-demand festival activation to a temporary store and then a permanent retail presence in Toronto.
Turning Movies Into Collectibles
Founded in 1984, Criterion built its reputation publishing curated editions of classic and contemporary films. Its releases typically combine restored or high-quality film transfers with supplementary material including documentaries, filmmaker interviews, essays, commentary tracks and archival material.
That model has helped Criterion maintain a physical-media business even as mainstream film consumption has shifted heavily toward streaming.
Criterion is selling more than access to a movie. Packaging, artwork, restoration quality, supplementary material and curation turn its releases into collectible products, giving enthusiasts a reason to purchase films they may already be able to watch digitally.
Physical ownership also addresses one limitation of streaming. Movies routinely move between platforms or disappear from subscription catalogues as licensing agreements change. A physical copy remains accessible regardless of changes to a streaming service’s library.
Criterion has reinforced the collector model by building a community around its catalogue. Its Closet Picks series, launched in 2010, invites filmmakers, actors and other cultural figures to browse Criterion’s film library and discuss their selections. The Mobile Closet took that concept on the road, allowing consumers to participate in an experience previously associated with filmmakers and celebrities.
Physical Media Finds a Premium Niche
The expansion does not signal a return to the mass-market dominance once enjoyed by DVDs and Blu-rays. Streaming remains firmly established as the primary way most consumers access films at home.
Collector-focused physical media operates differently. Premium releases can compete on qualities streaming does not easily reproduce, including ownership, presentation, limited editions, high-quality transfers and supplementary material.
Criterion is particularly well positioned within that niche because curation itself has become part of the brand. Its customers are buying specific editions of films selected, restored and packaged for a collector audience.
Cinema Cellar now gives that collector market a permanent physical environment in Toronto. In a category increasingly purchased online, browsing shelves, discovering titles and engaging with other film enthusiasts become part of the store’s appeal.
Canadian Cinema Gets Dedicated Space
Criterion’s Cinema Cellar presence also includes a section highlighting Canadian cinema. Titles available around the opening include David Cronenberg’s Crash and François Girard’s Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould.
During TIFF 2026, visitors can also get an early look at The Complete Kubrick, Criterion’s forthcoming box set scheduled for release on October 20, alongside recent additions to the collection.
The Canadian assortment reinforces the logic of a permanent Toronto presence, particularly in a location closely connected to TIFF and the city’s film community.
From TIFF Activation to Permanent Retail
Cinema Cellar attracted queues during its opening weekend, continuing the pattern established by Criterion’s earlier Toronto activations. Ritchie’s original reporting observed lineups around the block as TIFF got underway.
The progression from the 2025 Mobile Closet to a holiday pop-up and finally a year-round presence shows how a specialty brand can test demand before making a longer-term retail commitment. Criterion built awareness through content, brought the experience directly to Toronto consumers, tested temporary retail and then established a permanent presence through a Canadian partner.
For Cinema Cellar, the store is also a test of specialist physical-media retail at a time when consumers have no shortage of digital alternatives. Its opportunity rests with an audience that sees value in the physical product itself and in the experience surrounding it.
Criterion’s Toronto expansion shows how a niche collector brand can translate online community and temporary activations into permanent bricks-and-mortar demand.
