#TIFF25: TIFF ANNOUNCE CLASSICS PROGRAMME AT 2025 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

TIFF is celebrating its 50th edition with a robust Classics programme, presented by MUBI, and supported by Ontario Creates and the Canada Council for the Arts. Programmed by Robyn Citizen, TIFF’s Director of Programming, and Senior Curator Andréa Picard, TIFF Classics offers audiences a curated selection of influential classic films from around the world. Presented in a slate of new 4K restorations, these landmark works return to the big screen to be experienced as they were meant to be seen, and are presented alongside special 50th anniversary screenings of Jaws in 35mm. The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, will take place September 4–14, 2025.

An exhilarating and eclectic mix, this year’s Classics comprise a wide breadth, from lesser-known films from established auteurs, discoveries, films with rising cult status, and revered blockbusters. Rarely shown and largely out of circulation, Aniki-Bóbó is the impressive debut by the late, great Portuguese filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira; a sly, delightful children’s tale set in a working-class neighbourhood in Porto. Once voted the best Iranian film of all time, Bashu, the Little Stranger by Iranian New Wave pioneer Bahram Beyzaie, tells the story of a boy orphaned by the Iraq-Iran war with pathos and gentle humour. Satyajit Ray’s lesser-known modernist masterpiece Days and Nights in the Forest is incandescent in this new restoration, initiated by Wes Anderson. Rediscoveries of trailblazing voices include The Arch by T’ang Shushuen, adapted from a 17th century Chinese tale and one of the first independent films made in Hong Kong (and by a woman), and iconoclast Michael Almereyda’s hip interpretation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula by way of nineties New York in Nadja which first premiered at TIFF in 1994. Finally, celebrating its 50th anniversary alongside TIFF is Steven Spielberg’s iconic summer blockbuster chiller Jaws, presented in 35mm as a Canadian exclusive.

2025 Classics (in alphabetical order)

Aniki-Bóbó | Manoel de Oliveira | Portugal | 1942
North American Premiere of 4K restoration

Bashu, the Little Stranger (Bashu Gharibeh Kouchak) | Bahram Beyzaie | Iran | 1986
North American Premiere of 4K restoration

Days and Nights in the Forest (Aranyer Din Ratri) | Satyajit Ray | India | 1970
North American Premiere of 4K restoration

Jaws | Steven Spielberg | USA | 1975
50th Anniversary – 35mm Canadian exclusive

Nadja | Michael Almereyda | USA | 1994
World Premiere of 4K restoration

Sholay | Ramesh Sippy | India | 1975
50th Anniversary and North American Premiere of 4K restoration | Gala (previously announced), co-presented by Classics

The Arch (董夫人) | T’ang Shushuen | Hong Kong | 1968
North American Premiere of 4K restoration

Today’s announcements mark the last of this year’s TIFF Takeovers. 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.

#TIFF25: WAVELENGTHS PROGRAMME AT 2025 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

TIFF is thrilled to announce its 25th Wavelengths programme, the Festival’s steadfast visionary selection highlighting the best of international cinema, the experimental and avant-garde, and contemporary art. This year’s lineup — through eight features, a special pairing, and three shorts programmes — offers a timely reflection on the art of cinema, bringing together emerging talents alongside legendary filmmakers. From epics to miniatures, the works in this year’s programme push the boundaries of filmic form and language in ways both inspiring and resonant. The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, will take place September 4–14, 2025.

Wavelengths favourites returning with features include Lav Diaz, with his new Luminary designation, to present the Gael García Bernal-fronted decolonial epic Magellan (still above); Ben Rivers with his fable-like post-apocalyptic Mare’s Nest; the ever-sly Nicolás Pereda with his typically efficient and surprising Copper; and Maureen Fazendeiro with her poetic, shape-shifting solo feature debut The Seasons.

World Premieres include Rhayne Vermette’s singular and enigmatic Levers, the anticipated follow-up to her TIFF Amplify Voices award-winning Ste. Anne (2021). TIFF is proud to also welcome a number of filmmakers making their first appearance in Wavelengths, including artist and filmmaker Kahlil Joseph with his buzzy, near-unclassifiable BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions, and Alexandre Koberidze with his bold and meditative Dry Leaf, shot on an antiquated Sony Ericsson phone.

Additionally, this year’s lineup features a special pairing of Kamal Aljafari’s powerful With Hasan in Gaza, which screens alongside Basma al-Sharif’s equally moving short It’s So Beautiful Here (one of two films by the artist in this year’s selection).

Across three curated programmes, this year’s shorts boast an international and intergenerational mix of artists, a number of film prints, and one work of 3D. World Premieres by Viktoria Schmid, Björn Kämmerer, Blake Williams, and Friedl vom Gröller will be presented alongside exciting first appearances by newcomers Fredj Moussa, Kaiwen Ren, and Eri Saito, among others.

Additional highlights include new work by Mark Jenkin — also presenting his feature Rose of Nevada in Special Presentations — Chan Hau Chun; Jorge Caballero and Camilo Restrepo; Abdellah Taïa; Sohrab Hura; and Maryam Tafakory, with her award-winning Daria’s Night Flowers.

Finally, this year’s diverse showcase also includes a heartfelt tribute to celebrated avant-garde filmmaker Tomonari Nishikawa, a long-time friend of the Festival who passed away in April. In his honour, TIFF will screen his short Ten Mornings Ten Evenings and One Horizon, first presented as a World Premiere at TIFF ’16.

Wavelengths is named after Michael Snow’s iconic 1967 film Wavelength, and draws continued inspiration from the artist’s boundless exploration, experimentation, and innovation across media. The programme is curated by Senior Curator Andréa Picard and Associate Curator Jesse Cumming, with contributions from Jason Anderson and Diana Cadavid.

Wavelengths Features (in alphabetical order):

BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions | Kahlil Joseph | USA
Canadian Premiere

Copper (Cobre) | Nicolás Pereda | Canada/Mexico
North American Premiere

Dry Leaf | Alexandre Koberidze | Germany/Georgia
North American Premiere

Levers | Rhayne Vermette | Canada
World Premiere

Magellan (Magalhães) | Lav Diaz | Portugal/Spain/France/Philippines/Taiwan
North American Premiere

Mare’s Nest | Ben Rivers | France/UK/Canada
North American Premiere

The Seasons (As Estações) | Maureen Fazendeiro | Portugal/France/Spain/Austria
North American Premiere

Wavelengths Pairings

With Hasan in Gaza | Kamal Aljafari | Palestine/Germany/France/Qatar
North American Premiere

preceded by

It’s So Beautiful Here | Basma al-Sharif | Palestine
International Premiere

Wavelengths Shorts

Wavelengths 1: Map of Traces

Ten Mornings Ten Evenings and One Horizon | Tomonari Nishikawa | Japan

Rojo Žalia Blau | Viktoria Schmid | Austria
World Premiere

Disappeared | Sohrab Hura | India/Nepal
Canadian Premiere

09/05/1982 | Jorge Caballero, Camilo Restrepo | Mexico/Spain
North American Premiere

Map of Traces (記憶座標) | Chan Hau Chun | Hong Kong
World Premiere

En Traversée | Vadim Kostrov | France
Canadian Premiere

Wavelengths 2: Into the Blue

I Saw the Face of God in the Jet Wash | Mark Jenkin | UK
North American Premiere

From My Cloud (구름으로부터) | Minjung Kim | South Korea
World Premiere

Cairo Streets | Abdellah Taïa | France
North American Premiere

Daria’s Night Flowers (گل‌های شب ِدریا) | Maryam Tafakory | France/Iran/UK
North American Premiere

Aftertide | Kaiwen Ren | USA/China
World Premiere

Wavelengths 3: Slightest Pretense

Land of Barbar (بلاد البربر) | Fredj Moussa | Tunisia
World Premiere

Conditio Humana | Friedl vom Gröller | Austria
World Premiere

Slightest Pretense (わずかな見せかけ) | Eri Saito | Japan
World Premiere

CONFERENCE | Björn Kämmerer | Austria
World Premiere

Morgenkreis | Basma al-Sharif | Canada/United Arab Emirates
International Premiere

FELT | Blake Williams | Canada
World Premiere

#PRODUCTWATCH: EPSON INTRODUCE ECOTANK PRINTERS ET-4950 & ET-4850

It’s back-to-school season kicks off, busy parents and students are turning to reliable brands they trust to power them through, and well beyond, the year ahead. Epson has just introduced its latest EcoTank printer— a sleek, high-performance model that doubles as a smart home office investment and an essential tool for academic success.

The ET-4950 is the ideal all-in-one printer for busy households, perfectly suited for both students and parents. Whether you’re working from home during the day or your kids need to print homework at night, the ET-4950 delivers reliable, high-quality performance whenever you need it.

The ET-4950 offers a modern design that fits seamlessly into any space. It provides outstanding print quality and the convenience of printing thousands of pages, including colour1, without worrying about ink levels thanks to Epson’s high-capacity ink tanks and innovative cartridge-free printing. This new model also offers auto duplex printing, copying and scanning for advanced productivity, something any student or work-from-home warrior can appreciate.

The ET-4850 is a tried-and-true EcoTank printer perfect for post-secondary students. Print up to approximately 5,000 pages, eliminating the fear of running out of ink the night before a major assignment is due. This EcoTank printer is perfect for students on a budget as they can save up to 90 per cent with replacement ink bottles vs. ink cartridges 2. With premium productivity features like an Auto Document Feeder and a high-resolution flatbed scanner, this printer will benefit students long after graduation and into the workforce.

Both retail at a suggested price of $599.99 CAD.

Epson has plenty of deals throughout the back-to-school season, so be sure to check Epson.ca for weekly specials and savings!

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “THE RUNAROUNDS”

Today, Prime Video released the official trailer for The Runarounds, which features the original song “Funny How The Universe Works” performed by the band at the center of the story. The music drama series from the creators of Outer Banks will premiere all eight episodes on Monday, September 1, 2025 exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

Arista Records will be releasing the official soundtrack coinciding with the series’ release on September 1. Today, they dropped the band’s first two singles — “Funny How The Universe Works” and “Senior Year” — available now on all platforms HERE and the soundtrack can be pre-ordered HERE. “Funny How The Universe Works” features in the series trailer and “Senior Year” is the first song written and recorded by the real-life band.

The Runarounds follows a group of recent high school graduates from Wilmington, North Carolina, who come together the summer after graduation to form a rock band, united by their shared love of music and near-impossible dream of stardom. Over the course of one unforgettable summer, they throw themselves into the pursuit of their big break—falling in love, getting into trouble, and building the kind of bonds that feel like family along the way. With original music, romantic entanglements, and the raw highs and lows of coming-of-age, The Runarounds captures the rush of risking everything at the edge of adulthood to chase your dreams.

The series stars real-life musicians—William Lipton, Axel Ellis, Jeremy Yun, Zendé Murdock, and Jesse Golliher—along with Lilah Pate, Maximo Salas, Kelley Pereira, Marley Aliah, Mark Wystrach, Brooklyn Decker, Hayes MacArthur, and Shea Pritchard.

Executive Producers include Jonas Pate, Joon Yun, David Wilcox, Josh Pate, Shannon Burke, Scott Lambert, and Lisa Mae Fincannon, with David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Matt Thunell for Skydance Television. The Runarounds is produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Skydance Television.

#FIRSTLOOK: “SOUL’S ROAD” CROSS-CANADA TOUR DATES

Shot in Alberta and starring Canadian country star Dallas Smith, Joel Stewart’s SOUL’S ROAD is a riveting tale of self-discovery and redemption, promising audiences great music and heartwarming performances. After ruining his solo career and taking an extended break from music, the infamous Ronan Garrett returns to his hometown without much of a plan besides making amends with the people he abandoned almost a decade ago. Forgotten by some, but still regarded as a rockstar by others, Ronan takes a humble job from a friend at the local music shop and sets about fixing his past mistakes, determined to prove himself a changed man. As the healing process begins, Ronan feels the call to play again – with a new approach.

MULTI CITY FILM TOUR DATES

Toronto, ON

September 19, 2025

Halifax, NS

September 20, 2025

St. John’s, NL

September 21, 2025

Winnipeg, MB

September 26, 2025

Edmonton, AB

September 27, 2025

Vancouver, BC

September 28, 2025

Director: Joel Stewart

Starring: Dallas Smith, Camille Stopps, Josh Collins, Charlie Gillespie, Geena Meszaros, Laurent Pitre, Owen Maggs, Celeste Desjardins, Orin McCusker and Allan Hawco

Producers: John K. MacDonald, Don Depoe, Michael Feehan

Executive Producers: Eleanor Wiebe

#TIFF25: CRITERION MOBILE CLOSET COMING TO 2025 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

After wildly successful stops in multiple cities across the United States, the Criterion Mobile Closet is making its first trip outside the country!

September 4–7: Toronto, Canada, at the Toronto International Film Festival

Stocked with more than 1,700 of the greatest films from around the world, the Criterion Collection Closet may offer more cinematic inspiration per square foot than any other place on the planet. Filmmakers, stars, and creative luminaries of all kinds come to Criterion to champion their favorite films in our popular Criterion Closet Picks video series. Last year, we opened the door to everyone by taking the Closet out on the road, and Toronto will be our sixth stop. Come in, explore the collection, and make your own Closet video!

Interested in receiving updates? Sign up here to get important information about location, the opening and closing of line, logistics, etc.

Please note: signing up here does not guarantee entry to Mobile Closet experience, which operates on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Location
Across the street from TIFF Lightbox
350 King Street W
Toronto, ON M5V 3X5

Opening Hours
September 4: 3–7 p.m.
September 5–7: 11 a.m.–7 p.m.

In the meantime, enjoy this message from our very first Closet guest, Guillermo del Toro:

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Transportation and Parking
Parking space is limited, so rideshares and public transportation are encouraged.

How It Works
The Criterion Closet is stocked with every in-print edition from the Criterion Collection, including box sets, as well as all in-print releases from our Eclipse and Janus Contemporaries lines.
The Mobile Closet will be open to the general public on a first-come-first-serve basis.
You don’t need a reservation to visit the Criterion Mobile Closet—there are no advance tickets or time slots; just show up at the site and find your place in line. Up to five people can share a Closet visit, so bring your friends or make friends in line! (We encourage group visits.)

As long as supplies last, you’ll receive a Criterion tote bag and a printed pocket guide to the Criterion Collection.

Use the pocket guide to find films you love from the Collection. The numbered order of the films in the guide matches the order of the films in the Closet so that you can easily find what you’re looking for once inside.

If you don’t know what to choose, don’t worry! Just tell us about a film or filmmaker you love, and we’ll help you find something that fits you.

Although we’ll have our camera rolling throughout the Closet visit, there’s absolutely no pressure to perform or talk about your selections. Your experience in the Closet is yours to create!
If you would like to film or photograph your visit on your own camera or phone, you’re welcome to use our wall mount.

Each Closet visit will last three minutes. Once the clock starts (spoiler: it’s when you enter!), you’ll have that time to explore the collection or talk about your selections. Don’t worry—the Criterion Closet team is there to help you find what you’re looking for, and if all you want to do is look around, that’s okay too!
No purchase is required, but you are able to buy up to three items with our special Mobile Closet discount of 40 percent off, in honor of our fortieth anniversary. A limited amount of Criterion merch may also be available for purchase at the time of your visit. We accept credit cards only.
At the end of every Closet visit, we take a Polaroid of our visitors with their selections, which will be yours to keep as a souvenir along with the tote bag and guide to the Collection, while supplies last.

You might be featured on our social feeds, so keep an eye out and be sure to follow us on social media: Instagram, X, and Facebook.

If you post your Criterion Mobile Closet experience on social, don’t forget to tag and use the hashtag #criterionmobilecloset

Instagram: @criterioncollection
X: @criterion
Facebook: @CriterionCollection

UPDATE: We share our experience in the Criterion Closet! It was iconic!

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#FIRSTLOOK: “THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB” TRAILER

The Thursday Murder Club arrives on Netflix Thursday, August 28, 2025. Today we get a new Trailer for this star-studded adaptation of the popular book!

DIRECTOR: Chris Columbus
BASED ON THE BOOK BY: Richard Osman
SCREENPLAY BY: Katy Brand and Suzanne Heathcote
PRODUCERS: Jennifer Todd, Chris Columbus
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Jo Burn, Richard Osman, Eleanor Columbus, Holly Bario, Jeb Brody
KEY CAST: Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, Naomi Ackie, Daniel Mays, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Tom Ellis, Jonathan Pryce, David Tennant, Paul Freeman, Geoff Bell, Richard E. Grant, Ingrid Oliver

#TIFF25: “I SWEAR” TO HAVE WORLD PREMIERE AT 2025 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

I SWEAR is set to premiere at the 50th annual Toronto International Film Festival, based on a compelling true story.

Details:

Director: Kirk Jones

Starring: Robert Aramayo, Maxine Peake, Shirley Henderson, Peter Mullan

Producers: Kirk Jones, Georgia Bayliff, Piers Tempest

Executive Producers: John Davidson, Cindy Jones

I SWEAR is the powerful true-life story of Tourette’s Syndrome campaigner John Davidson, in a funny, moving and life affirming account of his life, from adolescence to adulthood, the film delivers hilarious and poignant details, exploring Tourette’s Syndrome, a condition that remains largely undiagnosed and misunderstood.

#TIFF25: SHORT CUTS PROGRAMME ANNOUNCEMENT FOR 2025 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

TIFF’s Short Cuts programme returns for TIFF 50 with a compelling slate of 48 short films representing 28 countries – including 20 Canadian titles. This year’s programme showcases TIFF’s expansive curatorial vision across seven presentations, including Strange Cuts, the Midnight Madness-adjacent strand introduced in 2024. The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, will take place September 4–14, 2025.

The Best International and Best Canadian Short Film Awards are joined by a third honour this year: the Best Animated Short Film Award evaluated by a panel of three Short Cuts Jurors. This year they are are rising cinematographer Ashley Iris Gill (Black Community Mixtapes), Marcel Jean, Artistic Director of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Executive Director of the Cinémathèque québécoise, and Canadian actor, writer, and director Connor Jessup (whose short film Julian and the Wind had its World Premiere at last year’s Festival).

Hear from Short Cuts Co-Lead Programmer Sonja Baksa:

Programme highlights include the World Premieres of Dust to Dreams by acclaimed actor Idris Elba; The Contestant from duo Patrick Xavier Bresnan and Ivete Lucas (The Passing, TIFF Short Cuts ‘23), featuring David Hasselhoff; and DISC by Cannes alum Blake Winston Rice, co-written by and starring Victoria Ratermanis and Jim Cummings. Joecar Hanna’s Talk Me, executive produced by Spike Lee, makes its North American premiere, as does The Non-Actor starring Maya Hawke and Victoria Pedretti. The documentary All the Empty Rooms from Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning filmmaker Joshua Seftel, executive produced by Adam McKay, will have its International Premiere.

Additional Short Cut programme highlights:

Ten animations across the seven-programme lineup, including Cannes, Annecy and Venice hits like Water Girl by Sandra Desmazières, The Girl Who Cried Pearls from Oscar-nominated Canadian animators Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, and Praying Mantis from the team of Yonfan (No. 7 Cherry Lane, TIFF ‘19) and Joe Hsieh.

Returns from TIFF alumni, including Rich Williamson and Shasha Nakhai (Scarborough, TIFF ‘21) with short satire Bots; Kelly Fyffe-Marshall (When Morning Comes, TIFF ‘22) with sharply scripted drama Demons; Healer from Chelsea McMullan (Swan Song, TIFF ‘23) in collaboration with Amar Wala (Shook, TIFF ‘24); A South Facing Window by Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir (City of Wind, TIFF ‘23, Snow in September, TIFF ‘22); and A Soft Touch by Heather Young (Murmur, TIFF ‘19, Milk, TIFF ‘17).

Award-winning standouts from the festival circuit, such as I’m Glad You’re Dead Now (Cannes 2025 short film Palme d’Or Winner) by Tawfeek Barhom and Ali (Cannes 2025 Special Jury Mention) by Adnan Al Rajeev.

Strange Cuts’ sophomore lineup, with genre hybrids including the deliciously twisted psychedelic animation UM by Nieto, cheeky micro satire Marriaginalia by Hannah Cheesman, and the absurdist wonder Thanks to Meet You! from Richard Hunter.

Compelling documentaries like seven-minute-long, visually striking short Divers by Georgie Wood and the whimsical Asparagus Bear from Ivan Grgur, produced by the Oscar-nominated director and last year’s Cannes short film Palme d’Or winner, Nebojša Slijepčević.

TIFF debuts from emerging Canadian filmmakers:

-Jazz Infernal, an upbeat ode to the roots of jazz music from Will Niava

Ramón Who Speaks to Ghosts, a delightful mockumentary by Shervin Kermani

-The Year of the Dragon, a tender drama about the sacrifices of motherhood from Giran Findlay-Liu

-ripe, a drama about family duty from Solara Thanh Bình Đặng

-Karupy, an absurd family drama from Canadian Film Centre Director Labs alum Kalainithan Kalaichelvan

-Klee, a prairie-gothic sci-fi that flips the script on colonization, from Saskatchewan-based Métis filmmaker Gavin Baird

-Poster Boy, a cutthroat look at the ’90s boyband world by India Opzoomer, who is also in TIFF’s Directors Lab this year

Short Cuts Co-Lead Mariam Zaidi’s insights:

Short Cuts Programme 1 (in alphabetical order)

A Small Fiction of My Mother in Beijing | Dorothy Sing Zhang | China
World Premiere

Agapito | Arvin Belarmino, Kyla Danelle Romero | Philippines
North American Premiere

DISC | Blake Winston Rice | United States of America
World Premiere

Healer | Chelsea McMullan | Canada
World Premiere

Jazz Infernal | Will Niava | Canada
World Premiere

Ramón Who Speaks to Ghosts | Shervin Kermani | Spain/Canada/Mexico
World Premiere

The Girl Who Cried Pearls | Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski | Canada
North American Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 2 (in alphabetical order)

Ambush | Yassmina Karajah | Jordan/Canada
World Premiere

Bots | Rich Williamson | Canada
World Premiere

I Fear Blue Skies | Salar Pashtoonyar | Canada
World Premiere

Not Scared, Just Sad | Isabelle Mecattaf | Lebanon/Bulgaria
World Premiere

Talk Me | Joecar Hanna | Spain/United States of America
North American Premiere

Water Girl | Sandra Desmazières | France/Netherlands/Portugal
North American Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 3 (in alphabetical order)

A South Facing Window | Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir | France/Mongolia
North American Premiere

Asparagus Bear | Ivan Grgur | Croatia
World Premiere

Demons | Kelly Fyffe-Marshall | Canada
World Premiere

Earworm | Patrik Eklund | Sweden
International Premiere

Sea Star | Tyler Mckenzie Evans | Canada
World Premiere

The Non-Actor | Eliza Barry Callahan | United States of America
North American Premiere

What We Leave Behind | Jean-Sébastien Hamel, Alexandra Myotte | Canada
North American Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 4 (in alphabetical order)

Ali | Adnan Al Rajeev | Bangladesh/Philippines
North American Premiere

Dust to Dreams | Idris Elba | Nigeria
World Premiere

Fiction Contract | Carolyn Lazard | United States of America
International Premiere

More Than Happy | Wei Keong Tan | Singapore
World Premiere

ripe | Solara Thanh Bình Đặng | Canada/Vietnam
World Premiere

To the Woods | Agnès Patron | France
North American Premiere

Year of the Dragon | Giran Findlay-Liu | Canada
World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 5 (in alphabetical order)

Arguments in Favor of Love | Gabriel Abrantes | Portugal
North American Premiere

Dish Pit | Anna Hopkins | Canada
Canadian Premiere

I’m Glad You’re Dead Now | Tawfeek Barhom | France/Greece/Palestine
North American Premiere

Karupy | Kalainithan Kalaichelvan | Canada
World Premiere

Once in a Body | María Cristina Pérez González | Colombia/United States of America
North American Premiere

Pink Light | Harrison Browne | Canada
World Premiere

Poster Boy | India Opzoomer | Canada
World Premiere

The Contestant | Patrick Xavier Bresnan | United States of America/Germany
World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 6 (in alphabetical order)

A Soft Touch | Heather Young | Canada
World Premiere

All the Empty Rooms | Joshua Seftel | United States of America
International Premiere

Divers | Geordie Wood | United States of America
North American Premiere

Niimi | Dana Solomon | Canada
World Premiere

Permanent Guest | Sana Zahra Jafri | Pakistan
World Premiere

The Death of the Fish | Eva Lusbaronian | France
North American Premiere

Strange Cuts

Klee | Gavin Baird | Canada
World Premiere

Marriaginalia | Hannah Cheesman | Canada
Marriaginalia is a surreal portrait of married life told across a day in three parts. A couple navigates life’s smaller ruptures — the world distorts, the body surprises — but their bond holds, serene and slightly off-kilter.
World Premiere

Praying Mantis | Joe Hsieh | Taiwan/Hong Kong
North American Premiere

Quietness | Gonçalo Almeida | Spain
World Premiere

Thanks To Meet You! | Richard Hunter | United Kingdom
World Premiere

The Veil | Gabriel Motta | Brazil
World Premiere

UM | Nieto | France
World Premiere

2025 Short Cuts Awards Jury

Ashley Iris Gill

Ashley Iris Gill is a rising cinematographer whose intimate, emotive style shapes acclaimed works like the Canadian Screen Award winner Black Community Mixtapes, Sundance’s Thriving, and Scaring Women At Night (TIFF Short Cuts ‘22). She has collaborated with many brands including Nike, Mercedes, and BMO, while also passionately advocating for BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ+ communities in film.

Marcel Jean

Marcel Jean has been the Artistic Director of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival since 2012 and the Executive Director of the Cinémathèque québécoise since 2015. He is the author of several books on animation and Canadian cinema, and from 1999 to 2005 he was an executive producer at the NFB French program animation studio.

Connor Jessup

Connor Jessup is a Canadian actor, writer, and director, best known for his leading roles in Netflix’s Locke & Key, ABC’s American Crime, and the independent film Closet Monster (winner, Best Canadian Feature Film, TIFF ’15). As a filmmaker, Jessup’s short films have screened at the Festival as well as the Berlinale, Clermont-Ferrand, Palm Springs, FNC and many other festivals.

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.

#SPOTTED: MACHINE GUN KELLY IN TORONTO FOR “LOST AMERICANA”

Multi-hyphenate Artist Machine Gun Kelly surprised Toronto, appearing at Sunrise Records Square One in support of his latest album, Lost Americana. This seventh studio Disc is out August 8, 2025 via Universal Music Canada and he has the distinction of having icon Bob Dylan voice the Album’s Trailer – a super-rare feat!

MGK arrived in Toronto today after a busy few days of press in New York, including an appearance on Jimmy Fallon, stopping by to meet fans and pose for Photos later in the afternoon in Mississauga. He then played a surprise set at famed Horseshoe Tavern, limiting it to 300 fans who were lucky enough to attend!

Above this, MGK has a collaboration launching August 8th also at PRINCE STREET PIZZA, packing starpower, but also heat! He had a hand in designing this together with PSP‘s pizza mastery. The pizza box also is inspired by Lost Americana. We had the chance to try it. Delicious!

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We are thrilled finally to have met this brilliant talent and we were so flattered that he complimented our outfit. It was amazing seeing him take the time to interact with approximately 200 fans who scored wristbands by pre-ordering the Album ahead. We genuinely are a fan of his, no matter if he’s singing, rapping or acting.

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His appearance on Fallon, plus his latest singles:

Our Snap:

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(Photo/video credit: Universal Music Group/NBC/Mr. Will Wong)