TORONTO — It seems that a city-wide bedbug battle has become a pest for the Toronto International Film Festival.

Festival co-director Cameron Bailey said on Twitter that officials are responding to complaints about the troublesome insects at one of the festival's main movie hubs, the Scotiabank Theatre.

"Before bedbugs becomes today's meme: we're on it, we're talking to Cineplex & are planning for an itch-free (festival)," wrote Bailey, whose twitter handle is cameron--tiff.

The comment came shortly after a movie fan tweeted that a friend suffered bites to his "back, bottom, thighs" after catching a film at the downtown multiplex.

A Scotiabank manager would not say if he's received complaints about the tiny insects, but said preventative measures were ongoing.

In recent months, Toronto hospitals, libraries, stores and upscale apartment buildings have been overtaken by bedbug infestations.

Earlier this month, pests invaded a popular movie theatre in New York's Times Square and sparked an investigation into all AMC theatres in Manhattan.

The Toronto International Film Festival runs Sept. 9 to 19.