The comedic chaos continues when Disney’s Freakier Friday brings laugh-out-loud, out-of-body fun streaming exclusively on Disney+ beginning November 12.

Blending heart, humor, and a dash of spellbound magic, Disney’s Freakier Friday marks the next chapter for on-screen mother and daughter Jamie Lee Curtis (Tess Coleman) and Lindsay Lohan (Anna Coleman), as the Coleman family’s story moves into a new generation.

Called “a throwback done right – fun, funny, and full of heart” (Kylie Mar, Complex), Disney’s Freakier Friday is the perfect film for families to enjoy together – whether or not they’ve ever imagined swapping places or walking a mile in someone else’s shoes.

Film Synopsis
Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan reprise their roles in this hilarious sequel. Tess’s daughter Anna now has a daughter of her own and soon, a stepdaughter. As they navigate the joys and challenges when two families merge, lightning just may strike twice.

This Halloween, Lyla, one of Toronto’s top dining destinations, invites guests to an evening of refined festivity with its Haute Halloween Soirée, taking place on Halloween night at Lyla, 60 Sudbury St. Tickets are $29 per person and can be purchased through OpenTable HERE. Guests will experience an immersive celebration of fashion, flavour, and sound, featuring a live DJ, custom Halloween cocktails, and a digital photobooth designed to capture every glittering moment. Lyla transforms into a fully Halloween-themed space for one unforgettable night, complete with a costume contest where guests can vote for Best Costume. The winner will be announced at midnight and receive a $250 Lyla Gift Card. Tickets include entry to Lyla After-Dark, a welcome cocktail, and access to the Halloween-themed Gold Room, featuring a photobooth to capture you and your friends in costume.

Elixirs of the Evening

Guests can enjoy a full-service bar with both Halloween-inspired creations and classic favourites. Lyla’s mixologists have created three signature cocktails for the night, each one a spell of flavour and allure. Every guest will be welcomed with a complimentary cocktail upon arrival, included in the ticket price.

(Halloween Cocktail Specials, Photo Courtesy of Lyla)

Witchcraft – “The Potion Ritual”

Gin | Lavender | Elderflower | Lemon | Cava
A symphony of botanicals and bloom, where fragrant lavender and elderflower mingle with bright lemon and effervescent Cava. Served with your own spell: pour the elixir and watch the magic unfold

(Witchcraft – “The Potion Ritual”, Photo Courtesy of Lyla)

The Oracle

Vodka | Aperol | Strawberry Purée | Lemon | Cinnamon
A vision in balance, with sweet strawberry and radiant citrus illuminated by Aperol’s amber glow and topped with cinnamon.

Dracula’s Margarita

Casamigos Reposado | Lime Juice | Orange Liqueur | Activated Charcoal | Spicy Foam
Darkly seductive and dangerously smooth, tequila meets zesty lime and smouldering spice cloaked in midnight charcoal. Topped with a crimson foam that bites back.

Late-Night Menu

The kitchen will be open late, offering a menu of elevated comfort food available for purchase, including chicken nuggets & caviar, Mini-Mac burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, and truffle fries.

Bottle Service Experience

For the ultimate night out, bottle service tables include cocktail and food service directly to your table, with no entry fee and a two-bottle minimum. Magnum Shakers are available exclusively for bottle service guests. To secure a table, email events@lylatoronto.com.

Event Details
Date: October 31, 2025

Time: 9:00 PM – 2:00 AM
Location: Lyla, 60 Sudbury St., Toronto
Tickets: $29 per person via OpenTable HERE

Dress Code: Costumes encouraged

To celebrate the home entertainment release of F1 The Movie and Weapons, we are giving our Readers a chance to win copies on 4K UHD. As we approach the end of the year, these two films rank among our favourites of 2025.

WEAPONS

When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance. The film stars Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, with Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan. Cregger directs from his own screenplay, and also produces alongside Roy Lee, Miri Yoon, J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules, with Michelle Morrissey and Josh Brolin executive producing. The filmmaker’s creative team behind the camera includes director of photography Larkin Seiple, production designer Tom Hammock, editor Joe Murphy and costume designer Trish Sommerville. The music is by Ryan Holladay, Hays Holladay and Zach Cregger.

Bonus Content:

Director Zach Cregger: Making Horror Personal
Weaponized: The Cast of Weapons
Weapons: Texture of Terror

Special Features

Director Zach Cregger: Making Horror Personal
Weaponized: The Cast of Weapons
Weapons: Texture of Terror

F1

Dubbed “the greatest that never was,” Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) was FORMULA 1’s most promising phenom of the 1990s until an accident on the track nearly ended his career.  Thirty years later, he’s a nomadic racer-for-hire when he’s approached by his former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), owner of a struggling FORMULA 1 team that is on the verge of collapse.  Ruben convinces Sonny to come back to FORMULA 1 for one last shot at saving the team and being the best in the world.  He’ll drive alongside Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), the team’s hotshot rookie intent on setting his own pace.  But as the engines roar, Sonny’s past catches up with him and he finds that in FORMULA 1, your teammate is your fiercest competition—and the road to redemption is not something you can travel alone.

Bonus Content:

Inside the F1® The Movie Table Read
The Anatomy of a Crash
Getting Up to Speed
APXGP Innovations
Making It to Silverstone
Lewis Hamilton: Producer
APXGP Sets and Locations Around the World
APXGP and F1®: How It Was Filmed
Sound of Speed

Special Features

Inside the F1® The Movie Table Read
The Anatomy of a Crash
Getting Up to Speed
APXGP Innovations
Making It to Silverstone
Lewis Hamilton: Producer
APXGP Sets and Locations Around the World
APXGP and F1®: How It Was Filmed
Sound of Speed

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK, X, or IG. Indicate in the comments which title you are entering for and tag 1 friend who loves the film as much as you do! One title per entry, please. You may enter multiple times. You must be following.

Rules and regulations here.

F1 The Movie and Weapons are available now on 4K UHD & Blu-ray.

Paramount+ today announced the upcoming premieres of two new docuseries from See It Now Studios: THIRST TRAP: THE FAME. THE FANTASY. THE FALLOUT. and DON’T DATE BRANDON. Both projects explore the dark undercurrents of digital connection, obsession and betrayal, and will stream exclusively on Paramount+ this fall.

“DON’T DATE BRANDON and THIRST TRAP are gripping and timely stories about the price of digital fame and deception,” said Susan Zirinsky, president of See It Now Studios. “Through raw, riveting interviews, each docuseries takes you on a journey to expose the truth, revealing that things are not always as they appear. We’re proud to collaborate with these storytellers whose work will captivate audiences from the first frame to the final credits.”

THIRST TRAP: THE FAME. THE FANTASY. THE FALLOUT. premieres October 31, 2025.

When 21-year-old Canadian William White posted a lip-synching video to TikTok, he hardly expected to become an internet sensation overnight. Sparking a “thirst trap” obsession with lovesick fans, the line between real connection and online fantasy was blurred as gained millions of fans. What first seemed like innocent interactions with self-formed fan-clubs for White, turned into jealousy, blackmail and betrayal by the fans who were determined to watch his every move online. With exclusive interviews with William’s super fans, and William himself, THIRST TRAP is a powerful exploration of internet culture, obsession and identity in the modern age.

THIRST TRAP is directed by Canadian Trish Neufeld and executive produced by James Buddy Day for Pyramid Productions and Aaron Fishman for APG Pictures. For See It Now Studios, Susan Zirinsky and Terence Wrong executive produce, and Aysu Saliba and Cara Tortora are supervising producers. The documentary is distributed internationally by Osmosis Global.

DON’T DATE BRANDON premieres October 28, 2025.

DON’T DATE BRANDON is a gripping true-crime docuseries that follows a modern romance that spiraled into a dangerous game of deception. When Amber starts dating Brandon after meeting him online, he seems like the perfect boyfriend. But when she connects with his ex-wife, Athena, everything is turned upside-down as they learn the truth together: Brandon is a manipulative liar with dark secrets.

As the two women launch a podcast to expose Brandon and discuss the warning signs they missed, more victims come forward, and new details and stories emerge. This is a story about more than one man’s lies… it’s about survival, solidarity and the women who refused to stay silent.

DON’T DATE BRANDON is a co-production between See It Now Studios and Wag Entertainment. The docuseries is directed by Grace Chapman and executive produced by Steven Green and Eliya Aman for Wag Entertainment, a Fremantle company. For See It Now Studios, Susan Zirinsky and Terence Wrong serve as executive producers, with Aysu Saliba and Cara Tortora as supervising producers. The docuseries is distributed internationally by Fremantle.

Tickets to see Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Zootopia 2” in theatres go on sale today, giving audiences the exciting opportunity to return to the beloved animal metropolis when the animated adventure opens on Nov. 26, 2025. A final trailer and all-new posters also debut today. Additionally, several stars from previous Disney Animation classics including “Moana,” “Frozen,” “Encanto” and “The Princess and the Frog” have joined the voice cast.

“Zootopia 2” will feature voice cameos from “Moana” and “Moana 2” stars Dwayne Johnson, Auliʻi Cravalho, Rachel House and David Fane; “Frozen” and “Frozen 2” star Josh Gad; “The Princess and the Frog” lead Anika Noni Rose; and “Encanto” cast members Stephanie Beatriz, Wilmer Valderrama and John Leguizamo.

Disney Animation chief creative officer Jared Bush, who wrote “Zootopia 2” and directs the feature along with Byron Howard, states, “From the beginning, Easter eggs and winks to our favorite films and characters have been a hallmark of the world of ‘Zootopia.’ We are ecstatic that ‘Zootopia 2’ expands our ‘Zootopia’ family to include even more members of our extended Disney family, filled with dear friends and true Disney Legends.”

CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS

DWAYNE JOHNSON (Zeke) – Zeke is an accident-prone dik-dik who meets with a musical mishap as a result of Judy and Nick’s high-speed pursuit gone awry.

AULIʻI CRAVALHO (Anti-Venom Pen) – The antidote for pit viper Gary De’Snake’s venom, his Anti-Venom Pen is almost as cute as he is.

RACHEL HOUSE (Gramma Taller) – Currently behind bars at the ZPD, Gramma Taller makes Nick’s visit to the jail even more unpleasant.

DAVID FANE (Truffler) – Truffler is Captain Hoggbottom’s meathead razorback partner.

JOSH GAD (Paul Moledebrandt) – Ornery mole and ZPD’s IT expert, Paul Moledebrandt rules his domain with a tiny iron paw.

ANIKA NONI ROSE (Squeal of Fortune Mouse) – This adorable mouse is the lucky winner of an almost-new car on Zootopia’s favorite game show, “Squeal of Fortune.”

STEPHANIE BEATRIZ & WILMER VALDERRAMA (Bloats and Higgins) – Hippo ZPD cop partners Bloats and Higgins may be excellent swimmers, but they can be easily distracted in their pursuit of new fugitives Judy and Nick.

JOHN LEGUIZAMO (Antony) – Smarmy anteater Antony is a smuggler who bolts at the first sign of trouble.

In “Zootopia 2,” rookie cops Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) find themselves on the twisting trail of a great mystery when Gary De’Snake (voice of Academy Award® winner Ke Huy Quan) arrives in Zootopia and turns the animal metropolis upside down. To crack the case, Judy and Nick must go undercover to unexpected new parts of town, where their growing partnership is tested like never before. The Oscar®-winning team of Jared Bush and Byron Howard (directors) and Yvett Merino (producer) are the principal filmmakers.

The “Zootopia 2” voice cast is composed of an astounding pool of talent that also includes Andy Samberg (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), David Strathairn (“Good Night, and Good Luck”), Macaulay Culkin (“John Candy: I Like Me”) and Brenda Song (“The Last Showgirl”) who appear as the Lynxleys, one of the most prominent families in Zootopia. Comedian Fortune Feimster (“Crushing It”) is the voice of Nibbles Maplestick, an oddball beaver whose podcast explores reptile mysteries; Idris Elba (“Heads of State”) returns as Chief Bogo, the well-respected head of the Zootopia Police Department; Patrick Warburton (“The Emperor’s New Groove”) voices actor-turned-politician Mayor Brian Winddancer; Shakira (“Zootopia”) returns as the voice of Zootopia’s biggest pop star, Gazelle; Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”) stars as Dr. Fuzzby, an adorable quokka therapy animal; Robert Irwin (“Dancing with the Stars”) joins the cast as the cute koala Robert Furwin; and Nate Torrence (“Get Smart”) reprises his role as Clawhauser, ZPD’s charming cheetah receptionist.

Today, Paramount+ debuted the teaser trailer and key art for LITTLE DISASTERS, the six-part psychological thriller adapted from the bestselling novel by Sarah Vaughan (Anatomy of a Scandal), will debut all episodes on Thursday, December 11, exclusively on Paramount+ in Canada, the U.S.,GSA, Italy, and Latin America.

From the BAFTA®-winning creative team at Roughcut Television (COMA, Big Boys) in association with Fremantle, LITTLE DISASTERS premiered earlier this year on Paramount+ in the U.K. and Ireland.

SYNOPSIS: LITTLE DISASTERS focuses on a decade-long friendship among Jess (Kruger), Liz (Jo Joyner), Charlotte (Shelley Conn) and Mel (Emily Taaffe), four expectant mothers who were thrown together with little in common apart from their due dates but have been there for one another throughout motherhood. When perfect stay-at-home mother Jess takes her baby daughter to hospital with a head injury that she can’t explain, her close friend and on-duty ER doctor Liz must make the excruciating decision of whether to call social services. With one phone call, Liz sets in motion a chain of events that ripples, fractures and nearly destroys not only their families but their entire friendship group.

Anchored by Diane Kruger, the ensemble cast includes Jo Joyner (The Wives, For Her Sins, Shakespeare & Hathaway), Shelley Conn (Gen V, Alex Rider, Bridgerton), Emily Taaffe (The Rising, The Beast Must Die, War and Peace), JJ Feild (Turn, Austenland, The Peripheral), Ben Bailey Smith (Star Wars: Andor, The Split, Brief Encounters), Patrick Baladi (The Hack, DI Ray Ted Lasso) and Stephen Campbell Moore (The History Boys, Masters of the Air, Criminal Record).

Directed by BAFTA nominee Eva Sigurðardóttir (Good Night, Rainbow Party), the series pairs realism and suspense to create an intimate yet unnerving portrait of modern motherhood.

LITTLE DISASTERS was adapted for screen by Ruth Fowler and Amanda Duke, with executive producers Ash Atalla, Alex Smith and Marianna Abbotts for Roughcut Television and Sarah Vaughan also on board. Simon Judd executive produces for Fremantle, with Eva Sigurðardóttir directing and Myf Hopkins producing. Fremantle handles global sales.

Maison 4:3 and 10th Ave Productions are proud to announce the English voice cast for the animated feature Lydia and the Mist Rider. Sophie Nélisse lends her voice to Lydia, the apprentice astromage, alongside Mizinga Mwinga, Hasani Freeman, and Sarah Booth.. The sixth feature film from 10th Ave Productions, Lydia and the Mist Rider, will hit theatres on February 20, 2026.

Sophie Nélisse also lends her voice to the heroine in the French-language version of the film, Lydia et le vaisseau des tempêtes, which also features Anthony Kavanagh, Eveline Gélinas, Guy Nadon, Gildor Roy, Dorothée Berryman, Alexandre Bacon, Lyndz Dantiste, Kevin Houle, and Philomène Bilodeau.

After more than two years of work, under the direction of screenwriter and co-director Émilie Rosas, sound designer Jérôme Boiteau of Studio Expression, and producer and co-director Nancy Florence Savard of 10th Ave, the performers brought life to the digital characters created entirely by local artists.

Voice recording sessions began in Québec City in October 2023 and were completed last week in Montréal and in Canton-de-Hatley, where the songs were recorded under the direction of composer Jean-François Racine. “We called on artists who truly embody the characters created by artistic director and co-director Philippe Arseneau Bussières,” noted producer and co-director Nancy Florence Savard.

“At the very beginning of the recording process, I didn’t have any visual references; everything existed only on paper. I had the full script, all the lines, all the dialogue, but it was really up to me to create Lydia’s character. The first time, when we recorded the English version, I worked a lot with the actors playing Lucas (Hasani Freeman) and Thaddeus (Nico DeCastris). What’s really special is that we were face-to-face, it almost felt like a theatre scene, but in audio form. It brought a lot of energy, authenticity, and spontaneity to my performance. It was truly fun,” says Sophie Nélisse.

Lydia and the Mist Rider takes audiences on a journey through a completely fantastical universe. When her older brother Thaddeus is mysteriously kidnapped by the Spellbinder, 11-year-old Lydia sets off to find him in the Misty Sea. Picked up by the crew of a flying ship, the Dolphin, Lydia becomes the apprentice of Ambrosia, an Astromacer. Ambrosia is trying to find other children who have disappeared, including her own son. Determined to solve the mystery, Lydia must learn stargazing magic and ready herself to confront the Spellbinder.

The screenplay, written by Émilie Rosas, is a loose adaptation of Yves Meynard’s novels Le vaisseau des tempêtes and Le prince des glaces, published by Médiaspaul.

The production of this sixth animated feature by 10th Ave was made possible thanks to the support of Telefilm Canada, SODEC, the Canada Media Fund, the City of Québec, the Shaw Rocket Fund, Bell Media/Crave, CBC/Radio-Canada, the Harold Greenberg Fund, and Investissement Québec, as well as provincial and federal tax credit programs. The film is distributed in Canada by Maison 4:3. Attraction Distribution, in collaboration with 10th Ave Studio, handles international sales.

Link to full French and English voice cast

About 10th Ave Productions

10th Ave Productions is the Québec-based studio behind 100% Canadian animated features such as Katak, the Brave Beluga; Félix and the Treasure of Morgäa; Nelly and Simon: Mission Yéti; The Rooster Of St-Victor; and The Legend of Sarila. Based in the Quebec Capitale-Nationale region, 10th Ave’s animated films have been distributed in over 170 countries and territories worldwide.

About Maison 4:3

Founded in 2014, MAISON 4:3 is a boutique film distribution company that puts its expertise at the service of filmmakers and their works, developing customized release strategies and supporting films through every stage of their life cycle. MAISON 4:3 champions deeply human, distinctive, and meaningful projects.

Man on the Run takes viewers on an intimate journey through Paul McCartney’s extraordinary life following the breakup of The Beatles and the formation of Wings with his wife, Linda. From Academy Award-winning director Morgan Neville, the film chronicles the arc of McCartney’s solo career as he faces down a myriad of challenges while creating new music to define a new decade. Through unprecedented access to previously unseen footage and rare archival materials, the documentary captures

Paul’s transformative post-Beatles era through a uniquely vulnerable lens.

Man on the Run, presented by Amazon MGM Studios, is produced by Tremolo, in association with MPL and Polygram Entertainment, will be released in select theaters and subsequently available on Prime Video February 25 in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. Producers include Morgan Neville, Chloe Simmons, and Meghan Walsh for Tremolo; Scott Rodger and Ben Chappell for MPL; and Michele Anthony and David Blackman for Polygram Entertainment. Executive producers include Caitrin Rogers and Paul McCartney.

The documentary is the centerpiece of a comprehensive new partnership among Paul McCartney, Universal Music Group, and Amazon that will unfold over the next year, including the release of exclusive music and a series of merchandise drops with Amazon Music, available for fans to shop on Paul McCartney’s official store on Amazon.com and in the Amazon Music app, as well as one-of-a-kind commentary from McCartney himself. The partnership coincides with the release of his book Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run, which will be available on Amazon and Audible November 4, ‘WINGS’ the definitive self-titled collection available on streaming and limited edition vinyl on November 7, and McCartney’s Got Back tour dates across North America this fall.

Runtime: 115 minutes

Amazon MGM Studios Press Site

@AmazonMGMStudios and @PrimeVideoCA

MAN ON THE RUN will be a part of the savings, convenience, and entertainment that Prime members enjoy with a single membership.

About Prime Video:

Prime Video is a one-stop entertainment destination offering customers a vast collection of premium programming in one application available across thousands of devices. On Prime Video, customers can find their favourite movies, series, documentaries, and live sports, including Prime Monday Night Hockey – also Amazon MGM Studios-produced series and movies Fallout, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Reacher, The Boys, and Roadhouse; licensed fan favourite Vampire Diaries; exclusive entertainment such as Prime Monday Night Hockey, ONE Championship; and programming from channels such as Sportsnet, Paramount+, Crave, Citytv+, STARZ, AMC+, Super Channel, BritBox, Hayu, STACKTV, a multi-channel service featuring 16 top-tier networks (Global, Food Network Canada, HGTV Canada, W Network, The HISTORY® Channel, Adult Swim, Lifetime, Slice, Showcase, National Geographic, Cartoon Network, Treehouse, YTV, Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD), via Prime Video Channels add-on subscriptions. Prime Video is one benefit among many that provides savings, convenience, and entertainment as part of the Prime membership. All customers, regardless of whether they have a Prime membership or not, can rent or buy titles, including blockbusters such as Barbie and Oppenheimer, via the Prime Video Store. Customers can also go behind the scenes of their favourite movies and series with exclusive X-Ray access. For more info visit www.primevideo.com

THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SEARCH FOR SQUAREPANTS only In Theatres December 19, 2025. This past weekend its Premiere was held at the AFI Festival in Los Angeles.

In attendance:

TOM KENNY, RODGER BUMPASS, BILL FAGERBAKKE & ARTURO CASTRO

JOINED BY

DIRECTOR DEREK DRYMON

PRODUCERS LISA STEWART & AARON DEM

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS MARC CECCARELLI & VINCENT WALLER

AND STORY WRITER KAZ & SCREENWRITER MATT LIEBERMAN

AND DIRECTOR KENT SEKI FROM THE NEW TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES SHORT FILM

CHROME ALONE 2: LOST IN NEW JERSEY 

Synopsis:

SpongeBob and his Bikini Bottom friends set sail in their biggest, all-new, can’t miss cinematic event ever…The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants. Desperate to be a big guy, SpongeBob sets out to prove his bravery to Mr. Krabs by following The Flying Dutchman – a mysterious swashbuckling ghost pirate – on a seafaring comedy-adventure that takes him to the deepest depths of the deep sea, where no Sponge has gone before.

Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Movies Present

In Association with Domain Entertainment and MRC

“THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SEARCH FOR SQUAREPANTS”

Executive Producers

Marc Ceccarelli, Vincent Waller, Pete Chiappetta, Anthony Tittanegro, Andrew Lary

Produced by

Lisa Stewart, p.g.a., Pam Brady, Aaron Dem

Based on the Series “SpongeBob SquarePants” Created by Stephen Hillenburg

Story by

Marc Ceccarelli & Kaz and Pam Brady

Screenplay by

Pam Brady and Matt Lieberman

Directed by

Derek Drymon

Cast:

Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence, Mr. Lawrence, George Lopez, Isis “Ice Spice” Gaston, Arturo Castro, Sherry Cola with Regina Hall and Mark Hamill

THIS FILM HAS NOT YET BEEN RATED

The Windsor International Film Festival (WIFF) is pleased to announce that the winner of the prestigious WIFF Prize in Canadian Film this year is Montreal, My Beautiful (Montréal, ma belle), directed by Xiaodan He. The announcement was made at a private reception on Sunday, October 26 with representatives of the nominated films, jury members, and guests in attendance. Celebrating outstanding achievement in Canadian cinema, the prize carries a cash value of $25,000 and is awarded to the director of the film.

The winner was selected by a jury of industry experts; Charles Tremblay, Head of Market, TIFF; Chelsea McMullen, filmmaker; Manon Dumais, journalist, La Presse; Paul Barkin, producer; and Tanya Mason, Director of Theatrical and Digital Sales, Photon Films and Media. All 10 nominated films were screened during WIFF’s opening weekend.

“From the first scene, where a mother must rely on her daughter to translate the most vulnerable details of her own body, to its devastatingly elegant finale where she reclaims her voice, this film unfolds with a quiet confidence and emotional clarity that took our breath away,” said the WIFF Prize in Canadian Film jury. “Joan Chen gives a performance of extraordinary restraint and depth, embodying a woman whose complexity feels utterly lived in. With tenderness, humour, and fearless honesty, the film offers a love story that feels both timeless and new — one that resists familiar tropes in its portrayals of race, gender, and the immigrant experience. It is with great admiration and heartfelt appreciation that we present this award to Montreal, My Beautiful.”

“We are thrilled for Xiaodan He. Her film Montreal, My Beautiful is a heartfelt exploration of identity, culture, and human connection,” said Vincent Georgie, Executive Director and Chief Programmer of WIFF. “This award celebrates not only Xiaodan’s exceptional talent but also the vitality of Canadian cinema that continues to inspire audiences everywhere.”

The other WIFF Prize nominees were Compulsive Liar 2 (Menteuse), directed by Émile Gaudreault; The Cost Of Heaven (Gagne ton ciel), directed by Mathieu Denis; In Cold Light, directed by Maxime Giroux; Lovely Day (Mille secrets mille dangers), directed by Philippe Falardeau; Peak Everything (Amour apocalypse), directed by Anne Émond; The Pitch, directed by Michèle Hozer, Shamed; directed by Matt Gallagher, Two Women (Deux femmes en or) directed by Chloé Robichaud; and Where Souls Go (Où vont les âmes?), directed by Brigitte Poupart.

Past recipients of the WIFF Prize in Canadian Film include Who Do I Belong To directed by Meryam Joobeur, 2024; Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person directed by Ariane Louis-Seize, 2023; Riceboy Sleeps directed by Anthony Shim, 2022; and Kuessipan directed by Myriam Verreault, 2019.

WIFF is a cultural, charitable organization that celebrates the art of cinema by showcasing Canadian and international film and filmmakers. Delivering exceptional experiences through film, WIFF strengthens and enriches the community while promoting the creative economy. windsorfilmfestival.com.

The 2025 festival is proudly presented by the Toldo Foundation.

Connect with WIFF:
Instagram – @WindsorFilmFest
X – @WindsorFilmFest
Facebook – @WindsorInternationalFilmFestival