#TIFF: TIFF ANNOUNCE FULL LINEUP FOR “DRAWN UNIVERSES: VISIONS IN ANIMATION”

TIFF has released the full lineup for Drawn Universes: Visions in Animation, guest-curated by Masaaki Yuasa, running from November 19 to December 29, 2026 at TIFF Lightbox. The carte blanche series highlights 17 features and four shorts selected by Yuasa, spanning the films and filmmakers that have influenced his work, from early classics to contemporary titles.

Yuasa will join TIFF in person on November 28 for an In Conversation With… event at the Lightbox, presented with Programming Partner, OCAD University. He will also introduce screenings of Richard Williams’ The Thief and the Cobbler: A Moment in Time (November 27) and Isao Takahata’s Anne of Green Gables: Road to Green Gables (November 28).

Drawn Universes: Visions in Animation launches with Paul Grimault’s The King and the Mockingbird on Friday, November 19, and will kick off with an opening reception at 5:30pm. For the full lineup, schedule and tickets, visit tiff.net/cinematheque/drawn-universes. Schedule subject to change.

PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE

November 19, 6:30pm
The King and the Mockingbird (1980), dir. Paul Grimault
Opening night film, preceded by a reception

Recorded introduction by Masaaki Yuasa

November 20, 6pm
AKIRA (1988), dir. Katsuhiro Ôtomo

November 21, 2pm
Pinocchio (1940), dirs. Bill Roberts, Wilfred Jackson, Ben Sharpsteen, Jack Kinney, T. Hee, Norman Ferguson and Hamilton Luske

November 21, 4:30pm
Lupin the 3rd: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979), dir. Hayao Miyazaki

November 22, 2pm
Night on the Galactic Railroad (1985), dir. Gisaburō Sugii, on 35mm
Recorded introduction by Masaaki Yuasa
Programming Partner: Japan Foundation Toronto

November 22, 5pm
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006), dir. Mamoru Hosoda

November 24, 6:30pm
AKIRA (1988), dir. Katsuhiro Ôtomo

November 25, 6:30pm
The Triplets of Belleville (2003), dir. Sylvain Chomet, on 35mm
Recorded introduction by Masaaki Yuasa

November 26, 6:30pm
Fantastic Planet (1973), dir. René Laloux, on 35mm
In-person introduction by Mark Jones
Community Partner: Sheridan College Faculty of Animation, Arts and Design

November 27, 6:30pm
The Thief and the Cobbler: A Moment in Time (1992), dir. Richard Williams
In-person introduction by Masaaki Yuasa

November 28, 4:30pm
Anne of Green Gables: Road to Green Gables (2010), dir. Isao Takahata
In-person introduction by Masaaki Yuasa; Programming Partner: Japan Foundation Toronto

November 28, 6:30pm
In Conversation With… Masaaki Yuasa
Co-presented with OCAD University

November 29, 4pm
Fantastic Planet (1973), dir. René Laloux, on 35mm

December 2, 6:30pm
Lupin the 3rd: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979), dir. Hayao Miyazaki

December 4, 6:30pm
The Triplets of Belleville (2003), dir. Sylvain Chomet, on 35mm
Recorded introduction by Masaaki Yuasa

December 5, 4pm
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006), dir. Mamoru Hosoda

December 6, 4pm
Ghost Cat Anzu (2024), dirs. Yôko Kuno and Nobuhiro Yamashita
Programming Partner: The Toronto International Reel Asian Film Festival

December 10, 6:30pm
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), dir. Henry Selick

December 12, 4:45pm
The King and the Mockingbird (1980), dir. Paul Grimault
Recorded introduction by Masaaki Yuasa

December 13, 2pm
The Thief and the Cobbler: A Moment in Time (1992), dir. Richard Williams

December 13, 4:30pm
Long Way North (2015), dir. Rémi Chayé

December 18, 6:30pm
Ghost in the Shell (1995), dir. Mamoru Oshii
Recorded introduction by Masaaki Yuasa

December 19, 3:30pm
Toy Story 3 (2010), dir. Lee Unkrich

December 20, 2pm
Relaxed Screening: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), dir. Henry Selick

December 20, 4pm
Anne of Green Gables: Road to Green Gables (2010), dir. Isao Takahata

December 22, 6:30pm
Short Films Curated by Masaaki Yuasa
Rock-a-Bye Bear (1952), dir. Tex Avery
Hedgehog in the Fog (1975), dir. Yuri Norstein
The Man Who Planted Trees (1987), dir. Frédéric Back
Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers (1993), dir. Nick Park

December 24, 2pm
Ghost in the Shell (1995), dir. Mamoru Oshii
Recorded introduction by Masaaki Yuasa

December 27, 3pm
Galaxy Express 999 (1979), dir. Rintarô

December 29, 6:30pm
Liz and the Blue Bird (2018), dir. Naoko Yamada

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets for Drawn Universes: Visions in Animation screenings from November 19 to November 26 will be available on tiff.net to TIFF Members on Thursday, October 15 at 12pm, and to the public on Friday, October 16 at 12pm. Tickets for screenings from November 27 to December 29 will be available to TIFF Members on Thursday, November 12 at 12pm, and to the public on Friday, November 13. To learn more, visit tiff.net/membership.

#GIVEAWAY: ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN PASSES TO AN ADVANCE SCREENING OF “YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER”

Amazon MGM Studios and Mr. Will are thrilled to give Toronto Readers a chance to attend an Advance Screening of tiff ’26 selection, YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER.

Screening takes place Monday, October 5, 2026 at Cineplex Cinemas Varsity & VIP (7PM).

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS

A devoutly religious hit man struggles to balance work, faith and fatherhood.

When his wife dies, he embarks on a desperate journey across Houston to protect his children as he confronts the forces that are closing in around him

DIRECTED BY

Bassam Tariq

CAST

Mahershala Ali, John Cho, Abubakr Ali, Laith Nakli, Tramell Tillman, Tiffany Boone, Giancarlo Esposito,  Adia, and Jahleel Kamara

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and IG. In the comments, tag a friend you’re bringing. Multiple entries allowed.

Rules and regulations here.

Amazon MGM Studios Canada release YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER in select theatres October 9, 2026.

(Photo/video credit: Amazon MGM Studios Canada)

#PRODUCTWATCH: 2026 ACURA ADX PLATINUM ELITE A-SPEC

This tiff, we had the pleasure of being partnered with the 2026 Acura ADX PLATINUM ELITE A-SPEC, a subcompact luxury SUV powered by a 1.5L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, operating at 190 horsepower. The 4WD feels like sheer power and muscle, while looking both sporty and elevated, available in an eye-catching Double Apex Blue Pearl II.

You get a total five driving modes here: NORMAL, SNOW, COMFORT, SPORT and INDIVIDUAL. This is an SUV for Canadians, as it’s ready for all conditions. It begins with a push-button start.

Not only this, it is loaded with safety features, led by the AcuraWatch safety suite, featuring adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and a multi-view camera system. It also is equipped with eight airbags with its Advanced Airbag System (SRS). In the event of a close call, thankfully, you are protected with a Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) as well. Entry and exit are easy with Smart Entry with Walk Away Auto Lock.

The Acura ADX not only is extremely spacious, seating is cozy, coming with heated and ventilated front seats, leatherette or microsuede-trimmed options. Our vehicle contained the letter. Power controls in the Driver’s Seat made it easy to recline the chair back when we needed a quick recharge nap, because those star-studded tiff days are extremely long.

And did we mention the abundance of cargo space in the back for your shopping hauls? We literally stored our entire tiff wardrobe for ease out outfit changes as we hopped from press screenings, to red carpets and parties, to just casual outfits when we needed to be comfortable.

You get a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and a 9-inch touchscreen, making for easy navigation at the touch of your fingertips. This to me is a huge advancement over previous offerings in the Acura family which went by a touchpad-like navigation system. This advancement helps place focus back on the road.

The drives are an absolute vibe here with ambient lighting in the SUV, plus a panoramic moonroof. It comes also with a Bang & Olufsen Premium Sound System with 15 speakers. We were floored by this, and it also having HD Radio, making radio static a thing of the past. We are please also with the many USB-C ports for our passengers, and wireless charging as well. Now if we were to critique one thing, it would be the placement of the drink holders, which we found cumbersome – though perhaps it’s just a learning curve.

In terms of fuel economy, you actually get great value here for an SUV: 9.1 L/100 km in the city, 7.7 L/100 km on the highway, and 8.5 L/100 km combined.

This Acura ADX Platinum Elite A-SPEC is perfect for you if you want size, utility and power, without ever sacrificing style.

The 2026 Acura ADX begins at $49,827 CAN. More here.

Come relive our thrilling tiff ’26 adventures in the 2026 Acura ADX Platinum Elite A-SPEC. You won’t want to miss this!

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#TIFF26: AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED AT 2026 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

The Toronto International Film Festival revealed this year’s award winners during a live press conference at TIFF Lightbox today. Among the top honours announced were the People’s Choice Awards, presented by Rogers, voted on by TIFF’s public audience; the Platform Prize, the Festival’s only juried programme; two Canadian feature film awards, Short Cuts, FIPRESCI, and NETPAC awards. In total, 12 awards were handed out, celebrating standout films and breakout talent.

In a historic first this year, winning TIFF’s Platform Prize grants a non-English-language film direct eligibility for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards, alongside top winners from five other qualifying festivals.

Audiences can catch this year’s People’s Choice Award–winning films for free at the Lightbox, beginning at 12pm today.

Over the past 11 days, TIFF presented 294 films from 72 countries, welcoming over 800 talent across 98 red carpets. The Festival hosted 2,000 accredited media, close to 7,000 TIFF: The Market delegates, and 279 directors from around the world.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS PRESENTED BY ROGERS

Launched in 1978, the TIFF People’s Choice Award, presented by Rogers, celebrates the Festival’s top title as chosen by Toronto’s famously passionate and discerning public audience. The honour now spans four categories: overall, International, Documentary, and Midnight Madness.

People’s Choice Award presented by Rogers: La Bola Negra, dirs. Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi

First runner-up: I Play Rocky, dir. Peter Farrelly

Second runner-up: Being Heumann, dir. Siân Heder

International People’s Choice Award presented by Rogers: Elsinore, dir. Simon Stone

First runner-up: Possible Love, dir. Lee Chang-dong

Second runner-up: The Assassin(s), dir. Hur Jin-ho

People’s Choice Documentary Award presented by Rogers: Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been, dir. Barry Avrich

First runner-up: Black Sunflowers, dir. James Marcus Haney

Second runner-up: The Ultra Runner dir. Mila Aung-Thwin

People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award presented by Rogers: Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney, dir. Matthew Rankin

First runner-up: The Spiral, dir. Paolo Strippoli

Second runner-up: Arrested Memory, dir. SABU

PLATFORM PRIZE

Launched in 2015 and inspired by Jia Zhang-ke’s groundbreaking film, TIFF’s Platform Prize honours filmmakers with strong directorial vision and distinctive storytelling. All films in the programme are eligible for the prize. TIFF’s Platform Prize is one of only six international festival awards with a direct pathway to the Oscars. Building on this newly established status, the 2026 Platform programme expanded to 12 films, with an international five-member jury selecting the winner of the $20,000 CAD prize. This year’s jury was led by President Pablo Trapero, alongside Amma Asante, Sylvia Chang, Luc Déry, and Albert Lee.

Platform Prize:

Angh, dir. Theja Rio | India

Platform jury’s statement: “The Platform Prize goes to Angh. For its refreshing perspective, strength of filmmaking, and deeply resonant portrait of a world. We praise the filmmaker’s vision, audacity and courage.”

Special Jury Award:

Brace Your Heart (Garrat Du Váimmu), dir. Amanda Kernell | Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Bulgaria

Platform jury’s statement: “We would like to recognize Brace Your Heart with an Honourable Mention. For how its apparent simplicity reflects the complex nature of the world today, its powerful central performance and beautiful visual journey.”

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 2026 jurors for the Short Cuts Awards are Joecar Hanna, Chris Lavis, and Iris Ng.

Short Cuts Award for Best International Short Film:

MAMMALIA, dir. Elia Kalogianni | Greece, Netherlands

Short Cuts jury’s statement: “We were struck by the audacity of a film willing to expose what we would rather not admit about ourselves and concepts we thought we were comfortable with. Bold, visceral, and formally assured, it explores the toxic relationship we don’t examine enough with those around us. It takes the grotesque and makes it disturbingly relatable, forcing opposing sides of a double standard into the same frame. What first feels extreme slowly reveals itself as something much more unsettling: a reflection of our own behavior, and of a society whose contradictions urgently deserve to be challenged.”

Honourable Mention:

The Spectacular Death of Prisca, dir. Kaelo Iyizoba | Nigeria

Short Cuts jury’s statement: “We wanted to give an Honourable Mention to a film that took us on a completely different kind of ride: a delightful mashup of melodrama, action and comedy that reminded us of the pure joy of making and watching cinema. Executed with remarkable precision in both filmmaking and performance, it turns family dynamics into something heightened, absurd and unexpectedly revealing. We were especially struck by how original it felt without ever seeming to chase originality. Choices that many filmmakers might hesitate to make were handled with such confidence and ease that the film created its own singular tone, full of personality and completely free of pretension.”

Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film:

Fight Kid, dir. Michael Del Monte | Canada

Short Cuts jury’s statement: “A film that is at once gripping and cautionary, offering a sharp dissection of inherited masculinity and ambition. We were taken by its enigmatic and electric journey, and by the unique way it blurs performance and reality, making it almost impossible to disengage from the screen.”

Honourable Mention:

Almost Pink, dir. Justine Prince | Canada

Short Cuts jury’s statement: “A film that helps us address another shameful and traumatic experience we fear to share. Disturbing but vital, it confronts the sexual exploitation of teenagers and the social and economic forces that allow it to happen. With remarkable confidence, the film builds and sustains an unbearably tense and terrifying atmosphere, demanding that we pay attention to a reality too often kept out of sight.”

Short Cuts Award for Best Animated Short Film:

Into The Betaverse, dirs. Varun Raman, Tom Hancock | United Kingdom

Short Cuts jury’s statement: “This film is a venue where ridiculous meets the profound. It is a surprisingly emotional comedy about friendship and finding love in unexpected places. This confident hybrid of live action and animation is unapologetically primitive and loose. Which, in an era of AI smoothing, that roughness only makes its humanity feel more present.”

Honourable Mention:

Terminal, dir. Alexandre Siqueira | Portugal, Spain, France

Short Cuts jury’s statement: “We shared the joy of discovering a film that knows how to be poetic and surreal without becoming overwhelming. It creates a delicate allegory of death and loss while giving us the space to sit with those emotions. Its animation is crisp and full of detail, but never calls attention to itself at the expense of the story. The style serves the film’s quest to connect rather than competing with it.”

FIPRESCI PRIZE

The FIPRESCI jury awards the International Critics’ Prize, dedicated to emerging filmmakers, to a debut feature film having its World Premiere in TIFF’s Discovery programme. The 2026 FIPRESCI jury members are Pragya Mishra, Cătălin Olaru, Savina Petkova (PhD), Enoe Lopes Pontes (PhD), and Victor Stiff.

FIPRESCI Prize:

Ancestors, dir. David Turpin | Ireland, United Kingdom

FIPRESCI jury’s statement: “In this story of lost people finding each other, we saw an extraordinary command of translating the dreamy landscape of memories and recollections into compassionate cinematic language. It immersed us in someone else’s life, a time of love and turmoil, a past that returns through photographs and memories to haunt, bring longing, and give hope at once.”

NETPAC AWARD

Presented by the Network for the Promotion of Asian Pacific Cinema, the NETPAC Award recognizes films 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 2026 NETPAC jury was led by Jury Chairperson Mara Matta, alongside Richard Fung and Panagiotis Kotzathanasis.

NETPAC Award:

Thirteen in Gaza, dir. Hosam Abu Dan | Palestine

NETPAC jury’s statement: “Against unfolding genocide, Thirteen in Gaza by Hosam Abu Dan turns suffering into neither spectacle nor victimhood, but into riveting images of life in all its complexity. A brave, intimate film that announces a major new voice in cinema.”

BEST CANADIAN DISCOVERY AWARD

The Best Canadian Discovery Award celebrates the next generation of filmmakers shaping its future. The award recognizes emerging talent whose first or second feature brings a distinctive voice to the Canadian film landscape. All Canadian first or second feature films in Official Selection are eligible. The winner receives a cash prize of $10,000 CAD. The 2026 Best Canadian Discovery Award Jury members are Zarrar Kahn, Justine Pimlott, and Sophy Romvari.

Best Canadian Discovery Award:

Smudge the Blades, dir. Cody Lightning | Canada

Canadian Discovery jury’s statement: “Smudge the Blades is electric. It carries heart and humour in equal measure, while never shying away from the challenges faced by Indigenous communities caused by the ongoing treatment of Indigenous people and colonization of Indigenous lands. Rooted in joy and resilience, Smudge the Blades challenges familiar genres by placing Indigenous voices at the centre of a story filled with hope, offering a radical path forward. Cody’s deeply empathetic directing and his eye for character, has resulted in a film that is propulsive, funny and furious. An assured sophomore feature about family, ambition — and the transformational power of community.”

Honourable Mention:

The Black Box is Orange, dir. Yuula Benivolski | Canada

Canadian Discovery jury’s statement: “A childhood impacted by settler ideology is unpacked through painful memories and the striking use of archival images. For its sensitive, brave and challenging formal dexterity, showcasing a nuanced depiction of the systematic erasure of Palestinian histories while delicately threading the needle between personal and political, we award The Black Box is Orange with the Honourable Mention for this year’s Discovery Award.”

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. The 2026 Best Canadian Feature Film Award jury members are Hubert Davis, Deepa Mehta, and Christina Rogers.

Best Canadian Feature Film Award:

Sunburn, dir. Serville Poblete | Canada

Canadian Feature Film jury’s statement: “Sunburn is a vibrant, funny, and deeply human film that brings a fresh, visceral energy to Toronto. With innovative filmmaking, remarkable performances, and an ensemble of characters who moved us, the film achieves something extraordinary. We are thrilled to recognize Serville Poblete as a young filmmaker with a distinctive voice and a generous vision.”

Honourable Mention:

Man in Motion: The Rick Hansen Story, dir. Adrian Buitenhuis | Canada

Canadian Feature Film jury’s statement: “The Rick Hansen Story is a moving, beautifully crafted film that offers a powerful new perspective on Rick Hansen’s extraordinary journey, while reminding us of the people who are too often left behind.”

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

The 51st Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, concludes today. The 52nd edition of the Festival will take place September 9–19, 2027.

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, plus learning and entertainment facilities; the Donald Shebib TIFF Film Circuit, an innovative national distribution programme; 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 Telefilm Canada, the Government of Ontario, and the City of Toronto.

TIFF’s People’s Choice Awards are presented by Rogers.

#TIFF26: “LA BOLA NEGRA” REVIEW

By Mr. Will Wong

LA BOLA NEGRA was made for Awards Season. The Spanish queer drama from co-directed and co-adapted by duo Los Javis spans three eras, connecting the stories of three men in a thoughtful way, inspired by an unfinished poem by Federico García Lorca and Alberto Conejero‘s play La piedra oscura.

We have Carlos (Milo Quifes) who is “blackballed” or voted out from a casino after suspicions are raised about him being homosexual. His father urges him to plea for the powers that be to change their decision. We also meet Sebastián (Guitarricadelafuente) who is enlisted into the nationalist army, only to fall in love with a prisoner of war named Rafael (Miguel Bernardeau) he is to pry information from and be cruel to. The story then skips to modern day, where a historian named Alberto (Carlos González) is about to receive an inheritance from his estranged grandfather, bringing to the surface years of unresolved tension between his mother (Lola Dueñas) and him.

Los Javis are doing some groundbreaking things here, re-framing the queer identity here, going beyond just looking at the challenges of oppression. Ultimately, the Film finds pockets of empowerment, light and love, making La Bola Negra an experience that warms the heart, paying respect to those who paved the way for us today by way of remembering the stories of those who could not live their truths. Above this, the Film visually is spectacular under the cinematography of Gris Jordana.

Some truly fantastic performances from this Ensemble, including Guitarricadelafuente, who is tortured between obligation and his heart. The Film is boosted by two surprise appearances from Penélope Cruz and she truly is dazzling here as a showgirl who rouses the troops to fight, and Glenn Close as Hispanist scholar, who specializes in queer history.

While it does feel excessive in length at 160 minutes, the ambitious LA BOLA NEGRA proves a rewarding watch. It screens at TIFF ’26:

Wednesday, September 16
Royal Alexandra Theatre
4:30 pm

Friday, September 18
Royal Alexandra Theatre
4:15 pm

Saturday, September 19
VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre
2:00 pm

#TIFF26: “THE LIBERATION” REVIEW

By Mr. Will Wong

The buzz has been deafening for Carrie Coon‘s performance in THE LIBERATION, a fascinating character study-turned-Thriller from Oscar-winning filmmaker Guy Nattiv. And it certainly does not disappoint.

The Film centers on Rita (Coon), a Holocaust survivor and mother of two living in New Jersey, who finds herself seduced into a commune cult, led by Ricki (Lily James). Doing this, Rita abandons her responsibilities as wife and mother and when her daughters Ella (Bella Ramsey) and Jo (Odessa Young) go to convince her to return home, they find themselves caught in the web of the cult, unable to make it out. Rita is forced to choose between her allegiance to the cult and her daughters when danger strikes.

Coon and Nattiv do a masterful job drawing us into Rita‘s mind and why she makes the choices she does here. Rita‘s choices never are singular, but more sequential in leading her down this path. Coon taps into Rita‘s pain and unresolved trauma, making it feel truthful in every frame. Ramsey also delivers a standout performance, acting often as our vessel in frustration at what we are seeing especially in the final act of the Film where it takes flight fully as a Thriller.

Terrifying, empathetic and at once compelling, THE LIBERATION screens at TIFF ’26:

Wednesday, September 16
Royal Alexandra Theatre
Premium
8:30 pm

Thursday, September 17
Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
12:10 pm

#TIFF26: DAYS 7 TO 9 SIGHTINGS – PENÉLOPE CRUZ, LOS JAVIS, CARRIE COON, MICHELLE YEOH, LEE MIN-HO, HUDSON WILLIAMS

Just getting caught-up here! Apologies, have been a bit under the weather and still trying to make it through this Festival!

So hard to believe the Festival ends already tomorrow! What a whirlwind it’s been. Here are some sightings, including:

•Matthew Lillard at tiff for CARRIE

•Hudson Williams at tiff for YAGA

•Michelle Yeoh at tiff for THE SURGEON and IT’S MY TIME

•Lee Min-ho at tiff for THE ASSASSIN(S)

•Penélope Cruz, Los Javis, Milo Quifes, Carlos González, and Miguel Bernardeau at tiff for LA BOLA NEGRA

•Carrie Coon and Guy Nattiv at tiff for THE LIBERATION

•Rami Malek and Tom Sturridge at tiff for THE MAN I LOVE

•Stanley Yau of Mirror at tiff for THE AGE OF GOODBYE and A NIGHT OF HONG KONG CINEMA

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In case you didn’t get a chance to check them out, our chats with Michelle Yeoh and Carrie Coon!

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Also some highlights from MAKING WAVES WITH HUDSON WILLIAMS for you:

…and something for all the Minoz out there!

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…and also amazing being on the carpet for LA BOLA NEGRA which I finally am getting to see today! This received what is being called the lomgest standing ovation in tiff‘s history.

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Our final photo set of tiff ’26 for CARRIE, which premiered last night

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#TIFF26: “KICK ON” REVIEW

By Amanda Gilmore

Kick On is a wild ride drenched in gruesome gore.

Eden (Markella Kavenagh) has a terminally ill sister in the hospital who wants her to live her life for the both of them. So when the opportunity arises for her and her friends to embark on an all-night rager, she succumbs to the peer pressure. She quickly regret her decision when she ends up trapped inside drug-dealer Ray’s (Nikolai Nikolaeff), son of a volatile mobster, apartment.

Kick On is a high-octane siege thriller that feels made to play TIFF’s Midnight Madness. It’s wacky, gory and action packed the whole way through. Screenwriter Phillip Klimek has constructed a blood-soaked ultra-violent nightmare for Eden that Director Nick Kozakis sets ablaze. There are many gun shots, head explosions and spluttering blood to please any horror audience.

By the midway point, you’ll think that you’ve seen it all. But the filmmakers continue to build to a crescendo that’s continuously gnarlier than the last. With so much to offer, Kick On lacks in message. This feels like a straightforward survival thriller with nothing to say. However, we did have the time of our lives watching it!

Kick On screens at TIFF ’26:

Mon. Sept 14 @ 11:59 PM at Royal Alexandra Theatre

Wed. Sept 16 @ 6:45 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Fri. Sept 18 @ 8:50 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

#TIFF26: “BUNKER” REVIEW

By Nicholas Porteous

A high-profile architect (Javier Bardem) is recruited to build an underground bunker for a famous billionaire, just in case of the apocalypse–all while his marriage (to Bardem’s real-life wife Penélope Cruz) is sputtering towards its potential end.

Florian Zeller‘s Bunker isn’t a conventional narrative–one beat leading directly to the next. It feels more like a series of provocative scenarios that gradually compound on top of each other to make a broad statement about modern existence. Its tone is difficult to pin down. Structurally, it reminds me of an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, and it isn’t without a sense of humour, but it’s also very earnest–by no means a comedy. It is occasionally successful at threading this seriocomic needle. A meeting with the unnamed billionaire–played with a fantastic, understated mischievousness by Paul Dano–is a perfect oddity. But most of the time, Bunker falls short of profundity–playing its more obvious ideas as though they’re revelations. When a friend asks how Bardem and Cruz can stay married for over a decade even though we grow into different people over time, there’s no lingering feeling in the room that this is the sort of baseline question you’d get on yahoo answers.

There’s a fun, meta quality to seeing Bardem and Cruz play a married couple. While I think it’s unlikely this highly strained relationship is a reflection of their real lives, watching a pair of top-tier, Oscar-winning spouses work together is undeniably entertaining. It’s unfortunate that the script they’re working from doesn’t feel as deep as their performances. Zeller slowly builds a tapestry of tension, but he collapses any fun ambiguity between these conflicting ideas by Bunker‘s far too clear-cut ending.

Bunker releases in early 2027

#TIFF26: NEW OPENING CLIP AND FEATURETTE FROM “YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER”

Watch the Opening Scene Clip Now and a Featurette with Mahershala Ali & John Cho and writer-director Bassam Tariq

Opening in Toronto on October 9th

Expanding October 16th

written and directed by Bassam Tariq

starring Academy Award® winner Mahershala Ali

with John Cho, Abubakr Ali, Laith Nakli, Tramell Tillman,

Tiffany Boone, and Giancarlo Esposito

also starring Adia & Jahleel Kamara

Orion Pictures presents

A Two & Two Pictures Production

A film by Bassam Tariq

In Select Theaters October 9

Expanding October 16

From writer-director Bassam Tariq, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother stars Mahershala Ali as Latif, a devoutly religious hitman who struggles to balance work, faith and fatherhood. When his wife dies, he embarks on a desperate journey across Houston to protect his children, confronting the forces closing in around him – and the beliefs threatening to unravel within.

Written and Directed by: Bassam Tariq

Produced by: Lucan Toh, p.g.a., Babak Anvari, Bassam Tariq, p.g.a.

Executive Producer: Brian O’Neill

Cast: Mahershala Ali, John Cho, Abubakr Ali, Laith Nakli, Tramell Tillman, Tiffany Boone, and Giancarlo Esposito

also starring Adia, Jahleel Kamara

Genre(s): Drama, Action