#FIRSTLOOK: “NIRVANNA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE THE TOUR” NORTH AMERICAN DATES

Elevation Pictures & NEON present

NIRVANNA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE THE TOUR

Elevation Pictures is excited to be share that NIRVANNA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE will be touring across North America this fall, including two Canadian tour dates. All stops will feature appearances with director Matt Johnson and co-creator Jay McCarrol.

Directed by: Matt Johnson
Starring: Jay McCarrol, Matt Johnson

When their plan to book a show at the Rivoli goes horribly wrong, Matt and Jay accidentally travel back to the year 2008.

Canadian Tour Stops
Montreal – Cinema Du Musee – October 29 – TICKETS
Vancouver – Rio Theatre – November 10 – TICKETS

Canadian merch details to come.

#TIFF25: “HAMNET” WINS PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD AT 2025 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

TIFF is announcing 12 awards today, including the Platform Award, TIFF’s only juried competition, and the coveted People’s Choice Awards presented by Rogers. This year’s awards include two exciting new additions: the International People’s Choice Award and the Short Cuts Award for Best Animated Short Film. As TIFF’s 50th edition comes to a close, the Festival is proud to have welcomed over 700,000 guests, nearly 2,000 accredited media, 6,000 Industry delegates, 1,200 screenings, and a stellar lineup of talent who graced 110 red carpets.

Audiences can catch this year’s People’s Choice Award–winning films at TIFF Lightbox screenings starting at noon today, with free tickets available to the public (visit here for more information).

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS PRESENTED BY ROGERS

The 48th edition of TIFF’s People’s Choice Awards, presented by Rogers, presents the audience’s top titles at the Festival as voted by the viewing public. All feature films and Primetime series in TIFF’s Official Selection are eligible.

People’s Choice Award presented by Rogers: Hamnet, dir. Chloé Zhao

First runner-up: Frankenstein, dir. Guillermo del Toro

Second runner-up: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, dir. Rian Johnson

International People’s Choice Award presented by Rogers: No Other Choice, dir. Park Chan-wook

First runner-up: Sentimental Value, dir. Joachim Trier

Second runner-up: Homebound, dir. Neeraj Ghaywan

People’s Choice Documentary Award presented by Rogers: The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue, dir. Barry Avrich

First runner-up: EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, dir. Baz Luhrmann

Second runner-up: You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution…, dir. Nick Davis

People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award presented by Rogers: Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, dir. Matt Johnson

First runner-up: Obsession, dir. Curry Barker

Second runner-up: The Furious, dir. Kenji Tanigaki

SHORT CUTS AWARDS

Short Cuts Awards are presented to the Best International Short Film, Best Canadian Short Film, and Best Animated Short Film, as awarded by the Short Cuts jury. Each of the three winning films will receive a bursary of $10,000 CAD. The 2025 jurors for the Short Cuts Awards are Ashley Iris Gill, Marcel Jean, and Connor Jessup.

Short Cuts Award for Best International Short Film:

Talk Me, dir. Joecar Hanna | Spain/USA

Short Cuts jury’s statement: “This film sparked one of the most interesting conversations around the jury table. Talk Me is bold in its portrayal of intimacy and the universal longing for connection. The characters fit so naturally into the film’s unique, evocative world that everything feels normal very quickly. Its cinematography is beautiful, delicate yet deliberate, each frame carefully crafted to draw us deeper into the story. By allowing the visuals to lead, the film creates an immersive experience of vulnerability and honesty. For its courage, craft, and sensitivity, the jury presents the Short Cuts Award for Best International Short Film to Joecar Hanna’s Talk Me.”

Honourable Mention:

Agapito, dirs. Arvin Belarmino & Kyla Danelle Romero | Philippines

Short Cuts jury’s statement: “For its formal precision, command of a delicate tone, poetic awareness of space and movement, and deeply personal reflections on family, the jury is thrilled to present an Honourable Mention to Arvin Belarmino and Kyla Danelle Romero’s remarkable Agapito. The jury also wants to acknowledge the brilliantly nuanced and committed performances of the film’s young cast.”

Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film:

The Girl Who Cried Pearls, dirs. Chris Lavis & Maciek Szczerbowski | Canada

Short Cuts jury’s statement: “In addition to highlighting the film’s daring technical achievement and sumptuous artistic direction, the jury also wants to recognize a fable about greed and the capacity of artists to create a fantastic world by the power of their narrative voice. The Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film goes to Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski for The Girl Who Cried Pearls.”

Honourable Mention:

A Soft Touch, dir. Heather Young

Short Cuts jury’s statement: “A Soft Touch really pierced our hearts. It finds a way to transform routine, everyday moments into a quietly devastating portrait of neglect and resilience. With searing precision and simplicity, the film illuminates how easily older folks can be overlooked, and in doing so, demands our attention, empathy, and accountability. The jury awards an Honourable Mention to Heather Young’s A Soft Touch.”

Short Cuts Award for Best Animated Short Film:

To the Woods, dir. Agnès Patron | France

Short Cuts jury’s statement: “This wordless journey into the bond between two siblings becomes a transcendent meditation on the mysteries of time and memory, love and loss, connection and transformation. Animated with lush, cosmic beauty and vibrating with tenderness and insight, the film plunges its viewer into deep, deep feeling. For its overwhelming artistry, luminous spirit, and soul-expanding sense of mystery, the jury presents the Short Cuts Award for Best Animated Short Film to Agnès Patron’s To the Woods. The jury also wants to note the film’s jaw-dropping sound design and the work of composer Pierre Oberkampf, whose score ranks among the best film music of recent years.”

FIPRESCI PRIZE

The FIPRESCI jury is awarding the International Critics Prize, dedicated to emerging filmmakers, to a debut feature film having its World Premiere in TIFF’s Discovery or Centrepiece programmes. The 2025 FIPRESCI jury members are: Katharina Dockhorn (Germany), Francisco Ferreira (Portugal), Jean-Philippe Guerand (France), Andy Hazel (Australia), and Justine Smith (Canada).

FIPRESCI Prize:

Forastera, dir. Lucía Aleñar Iglesias | Spain/Italy/Sweden

FIPRESCI jury’s statement: “Spanish cinema, long shaped by the exuberance of Pedro Almodóvar, has found a new distinctive voice in Lucía Aleñar Iglesias. Set on sun-drenched Mallorca, Forastera follows 16-year-old Cata, whose carefree family holiday is brought to a halt by the death of her grandmother. In her grief, the teenager takes on the older woman’s persona — wearing her clothes, adopting her gestures and silences. Aleñar Iglesias directs with restraint and precision, finding power in understatement. Performances from newcomer Zoe Stein and veteran Lluís Homar anchor the film’s dreamlike rhythms. What might sound slight becomes luminous: a meditation on an adolescent’s first encounter with death, and a ghost story about how the past lingers in the present. Forastera is a quietly assured debut, simple yet transformative, marking Aleñar Iglesias as a filmmaker the FIPRESCI jury would like to bet on.”

NETPAC AWARD

Presented by the Network for the Promotion of Asian Pacific Cinema, the NETPAC Award recognizes films specifically from the Asian and Pacific regions. The jury consists of three international community members selected by TIFF and NETPAC, who award the prize to the best Asian film by a first or second-time feature director. The 2025 NETPAC jury members are Dina Iordanova, Helen Lee, and Keoprasith Souvannavong, who is serving as Jury Chair.

NETPAC Award:

In Search of The Sky (Vimukt), dir. Jitank Singh Gurjar | India

NETPAC jury’s statement: “For offering an indelible tale of tolerance, desperation and faith, conveyed through a unique lens of realism and poetics, elevated by striking performances. In Search of The Sky (Vimukt) is a truly independent achievement by Indian filmmaker Jitank Singh Gurjar. The film transports the audience to rural central India, where an impoverished elderly couple contends with their cognitively challenged adult son and the villagers who threaten their existence. A beacon of hope comes in the form of the Maha Kumbh Mela, a pilgrimage to the world’s largest spiritual gathering where they seek renewal and new possibilities of life.”

BEST CANADIAN DISCOVERY AWARD

The Best Canadian Discovery Award celebrates works of emerging filmmakers who contribute to enriching the Canadian film landscape. All Canadian first or second feature films in Official Selection are eligible for this award. The winner will receive a cash prize of $10,000 CAD.

Jury members presiding over both the Best Canadian Discovery Award and Best Canadian Feature Film Award are: Jennifer Baichwal, Sophie Jarvis, and R.T. Thorne:

“Thirty-five films in 10 days gives you some perspective on the cinematic zeitgeist in our country. As a jury, we were particularly impressed by the wonderful variety, breadth, and strength of storytelling in the Indigenous films supported by the Indigenous Screen Office. This was a powerful indicator of the future of cinema in this country, and we look forward to seeing more in the future.”

Best Canadian Discovery Award:

Blue Heron, dir. Sophy Romvari | Canada

Jury’s statement: “Blue Heron, written and directed by Sophy Romvari, is a film centered on a family struggling with a troubling personal crisis, where all elements — script, direction, cinematography, performance and editing — unite to powerfully transcend the sum of their parts. The complexity of story, perspective, and emotion is conveyed with understated simplicity — nothing is superfluous — and the transitions between real and imagined, past and present, are seamless, as well as heartbreaking. Blue Heron is a stunning and assured feature debut about love, grief, memory, and the yearning to go back to the moment before everything changed.”

Honourable Mention:

100 Sunset, dir. Kunsang Kyirong | Canada

Jury’s statement: “We as a jury were struck by the remarkable world-building in 100 Sunset, Kunsang Kyirong’s directorial debut. She invites us into the apartment complex that is home to members of the Tibetan immigrant community in Toronto, where we experience the gossip, rivalries, and intrigues through the eyes of an observant young thief who rarely speaks but seems to register everything. The growing friendship between the thief and a newly arrived young wife is a study in seeing and being seen, and the interplay of an old DV camera perspective takes us along on their journey of expanding horizons.”

BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM AWARD

The Best Canadian Feature Film Award honours the unique craft and storytelling in Canadian cinema. All Canadian feature films in Official Selection — excluding first or second features — are considered for the award. The winning filmmaker will receive a $10,000 CAD cash prize.

Best Canadian Feature Film Award:

Uiksaringitara (Wrong Husband), dir. Zacharias Kunuk | Canada

Jury’s statement: “Wrong Husband, directed by Zacharias Kunuk, is a love story from thousands of years ago that blends the epic and intimate and immerses viewers in a mesmerizing and unique cinematic experience. The supernatural is ever-present and matter of fact alongside exquisite details of the daily rhythms of ancient Inuit life. The humour, gentleness and stoicism in the characters’ interactions is deeply moving, and the landscape is both a sublime setting and a character in itself. This is a beautiful and not unexpected achievement from a master storyteller.”

Honourable Mention:

There Are No Words, dir. Min Sook Lee | Canada

Jury’s statement: “An Honourable Mention goes to There Are No Words, written and directed by veteran documentarian Min Sook Lee. This film is a profound and devastating story of unspeakable loss; the shifting shape and mingling of individual and collective memory; the sometimes brutal immigrant experience; and how past violent personal and political realities can continue to define the identity of a family.”

PLATFORM AWARD

Marking the tenth anniversary of the Festival’s competitive section, Platform champions bold directorial vision and distinctive storytelling on the world stage. The Platform Award is a prize of $20,000 CAD given to the best film in the programme, selected by an in-person international jury: Carlos Marqués-Marcet (Jury Chair), Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and Chloé Robichaud.

Platform Award:

To The Victory!, dir. Valentyn Vasyanovych | Ukraine/Lithuania

Platform jury’s statement: “To The Victory! is the unanimous choice for this year’s Platform Award amongst a very strong selection. Bringing cinematic language to its roots and, at the same time, masterfully playing with audience expectations, this film dismantles convention to reveal deeply resonant universal emotions. Director Valentyn Vasyanovych has choreographed a mise-en-scène rendered with masterful precision, arriving at the kind of refined simplicity that can only be achieved with artistic maturity and bold vision. He has deftly used comedy to address a very complicated and complex situation into a work that is both audacious and profoundly beautiful. Ultimately, the film returns us to the very essence of cinema — reminding us why we are compelled to tell stories on film, and why we continue to do so.”

Honourable Mention:

Hen, dir. György Pálfi | Germany/Greece/Hungary

Platform jury’s statement: “The jury also wishes to recognize the extraordinary artistry of director György Pálfi, whose work exemplifies boldness, intelligence, and creative ingenuity. Blending cinematic genres in an inventive and seamless manner, Hen demonstrates remarkable precision in its camera movement and shot composition, resulting in an exceptionally effective narrative. György’s unwavering commitment to exploring humanity through the perspective of the hen yields a singularly original vision — a work of stunning originality, unlike anything else in contemporary cinema.”

Awards descriptions including eligibility can be found here: tiff.net/awards. Information on the People’s Choice Award voting process can be found here: tiff.net/vote.

Last Sunday, TIFF hosted its seventh annual TIFF Tribute Awards, in partnership with Rolex. Photos of the event can be found here.

The 50th Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, concludes today. The 51st edition of the Festival will take place September 10–20, 2026.

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About TIFF:

TIFF is a not-for-profit cultural organization with a mission to transform the way people see the world through film. A global leader in film and entertainment, TIFF initiatives include the annual Toronto International Film Festival® in September; TIFF Lightbox, which features five cinemas, learning and entertainment facilities; the Donald Shebib TIFF Film Circuit, an innovative national distribution program; and TIFF: The Market launching in 2026. The organization generates an estimated annual economic impact of $240 million CAD. TIFF Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel, and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation, and RBC. For more information, visit tiff.net.

TIFF is generously supported by Festival Presenting Sponsor Rogers Communications.

TIFF is generously supported by Major Sponsors RBC and Visa and Major Supporters the Government of Ontario, Telefilm Canada, and the City of Toronto.

The People’s Choice Awards are presented by Rogers.

#TIFF25: “NIRVANNA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE” REVIEW

By Nicholas Porteous

Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol bring Nirvanna The Band The Show to the big screen in what is likely the single most Toronto movie of all time–Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie. For those unfamiliar with the early 2000s web series and VICE TV show–watch it all right now!–but if you can’t, you’ll be completely fine. Matt and Jay once again attempt to land a gig at The Rivoli, only this time they’re unintentionally warped back to 2008–a vastly different era than you might imagine, in a bonkers tribute to Back to the Future (Parts 1 AND 2).

It’s a fool’s errand to try to pin down the magic of Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie in words, but I’ll do my best. It takes place in a hyper-specific and yet all-too-relatable world of stunts and in-jokes, idiotic schemes and deceptively complex filmmaking that wraps Toronto in a thick blanket of Matt and Jay’s mischief, pulling in unsuspecting real humans and manufacturing situations that can’t possibly be real but also can’t possibly be fake. There’s always a question in the air about what percentage of their misadventures is staged and how much is legit–and that’s half the fun. The other half–we’re talking another metric TON of fun, here–is the unhinged situations themselves. Right up front, we get their most daring stunt yet, involving a trip to the top of the CN Tower. A minor qualm–The Movie never totally matches the sheer scope and awe of this opening sequence again. But even if it was just this sequence–The Movie would be worth a full-priced festival ticket.

Explosively gleeful from the first to the final frame, Nirvanna is meant for a big crowd. The sheer volume and length of audience reactions is so intense, you’ll likely miss several jokes at your screening. At 100 convoluted-as-hell minutes, The Movie might be just slightly too dense with ideas, even for its minor runtime. The shorter length of the show and web series gave more license to sustain this very specific level of crazed storytelling in concentrated chonks. Still, there’s nothing else in the world like it. Aside from tracing the faintest outline of Back to the Future, I could never predict where it was heading next, and it’s impossible not to be swept up in the tidal wave of its audacious aura.

The midnight screening is one of the main events at TIFF ’25, but if you can’t secure a spot there, it’s also showing in IMAX–for perhaps the only time EVER–on the 8th. Don’t miss it.

Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie screens at TIFF ’25:

Thurs. Sept 4 at 11:59 PM at The Royal Alexandra Theatre

Mon. Sept 8 at 7:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Sat. Sept 13 at 10:30 AM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

#TIFF25: MIDNIGHT MADNESS PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED FOR 2025 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Midnight Madness, presented by Intrepid Travel, returns to TIFF with its signature slate of wicked wonders that are sure to delight and disturb the Festival’s devoted and raucous late-night crowd. The section closes out each night of the Festival with 11:59pm screenings at the (possibly) haunted Royal Alexandra Theatre, where the nocturnal faithful gather to bear witness to the very best and most bizarre in contemporary genre and shock cinema. The 2025 edition features seven World Premieres and is bookended by two of the year’s most acclaimed midnight comedies courtesy of some seriously funny Canadians.

Midnight Madness opens with the Canadian Premiere of Matt Johnson’s Toronto-set Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie. Based on Johnson’s cult Viceland series, this hysterical, death-defying time-travel caper earned a standing ovation and a coveted Midnighter Audience Award at this past spring’s SXSW. Deeply steeped in late-aughts Toronto lore, its hometown screening is anticipated to levitate audiences into high orbit from the infectious laughter alone.

The closing film is Dead Lover, a zany, macabre horror-comedy from Canadian director Grace Glowicki. This madcap phantasmagoria has been celebrated in festival midnight sections around the world, and fittingly concludes its tour in Toronto as a welcome addition to the Midnight Madness canon.

The Festival’s wild side also features World Premieres of Normal, the latest shoot-’em-up from 2016 Midnight Madness People’s Choice Award recipient Ben Wheatley; Dust Bunny, the darkly whimsical directorial debut of prolific television showrunner Bryan Fuller (Hannibal, Pushing Daisies); and Kenji Tanigaki’s The Furious, a frenetic martial arts thriller that assembles some of the genre’s fiercest fighters (whose combined credits include The Raid, Chocolate, and Everything Everywhere All at Once). Midnight Madness devotees can expect these star-studded genre thrills to complement the lineup’s bold independent visions, including Curry Barker’s terrifying Obsession, Aleksandar Radivojević’s profane thriller Karmadonna, Takahide Hori’s imaginative stop-motion fantasia JUNK WORLD, and perhaps the two most berserk alt-comedies to ever play the section: Nick Corirossi and Armen Weitzman’s The Napa Boys and Todd Rohal’s Fuck My Son!

Here’s programme hype man Peter Kuplowsky with a breakdown of the Midnight Madness experience:

2025 Midnight Madness (in alphabetical order):

Dead Lover | Grace Glowicki | Canada | Closing Film
Canadian Premiere

Dust Bunny | Bryan Fuller | USA
World Premiere

Fuck My Son! | Todd Rohal | USA
World Premiere

JUNK WORLD | Takahide Hori | Japan
International Premiere

Karmadonna | Aleksandar Radivojević | Serbia
World Premiere

Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie | Matt Johnson | Canada | Opening Film (still seen above)
Canadian Premiere

Normal | Ben Wheatley | USA/Canada
World Premiere

Obsession | Curry Barker | USA
World Premiere

The Furious | Kenji Tanigaki | Hong Kong/China
World Premiere

The Napa Boys | Nick Corirossi | USA
World Premiere

Tickets go on sale to TIFF Members by level beginning on Friday, August 15. For more details, visit tiff.net/join. The full Festival schedule will be released on Tuesday, August 12. The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs September 4–14, 2025.

About TIFF:

TIFF is a not-for-profit cultural organization with a mission to transform the way people see the world through film. A global leader in film and entertainment, TIFF initiatives include the annual Toronto International Film Festival® in September; TIFF Lightbox, which features five cinemas, learning and entertainment facilities; the Donald Shebib TIFF Film Circuit, an innovative national distribution program; and TIFF: The Market launching in 2026. The organization generates an estimated annual economic impact of $240 million CAD. TIFF Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel, and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation, and RBC. For more information, visit tiff.net.

#FIRSTLOOK: “NIRVANNA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE” AWARD MIDNIGHTER AUDIENCE AWARD AT SXSW ’25

Nirvanna The Band the Show the Movie has been awarded the SXSW 2025 Midnighter Audience Award after making its highly anticipated world premiere at SXSW last week. The film has been met with overwhelming praise from both longtime fans and newcomers alike, currently holding a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The long-awaited follow up from Matt Johnson (Blackberry) and Jay McCarrol delivers the signature offbeat comedy and chaotic energy that made the cult-hit series a fan favorite—only bigger, bolder, and more ridiculous than ever.

NIRVANNA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE
Director: Matt Johnson
Producers: Matthew Miller, Matt Greyson
Screenwriters: Matt Johnson, Jay McCarrol

When their plan to book a show at the Rivoli goes horribly wrong, Matt and Jay accidentally travel back to the year 2008.

(Photo credit: Getty Images)

#FIRSTLOOK: MATT JOHNSON’S “NIRVANNA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE” TO PREMIERE AT SXSW ’25

Matt Johnson’s highly anticipated follow-up to ‘BlackBerry’ is set to premiere in Austin this March as part of the festival’s Midnighter section!

Synopsis:

When their plan to book a show at the Rivoli goes horribly wrong, Matt and Jay accidentally travel back to the year 2008. Blah blah blah blah blah.

Starring: Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol
Director: Matt Johnson
Producers: Matthew Miller, Matt Greyson
Screenwriters: Matt Johnson, Jay McCarrol

Elevation Pictures to release the Film, more to come.