#FIRSTLOOK: “PEAK EVERYTHING” TRAILER

Peak Everything will close the 50th Toronto International Film Festival on September 13. The film will open theatrically in English Canada on September 26, 2025. Peak Everything had its world premiere at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes this past May and was shown at the 39th Cabourg Film Festival last month, where it received the Grand Jury Prize.

The sixth feature film by Anne Émond, Peak Everything stars Patrick Hivon and Piper Perabo.

Synopsis: Adam (45) is a kind-hearted kennel-owner. Hypersensitive and borderline depressed, he hides his existential fears from his affection-avoidant father, and lets his young assistant take advantage of his good nature. To help combat his eco-anxiety, Adam orders a therapeutic solar lamp. Through the lamp’s supplier’s technical support line, he meets Tina, a radiant woman with a voice that soothes all of his worries. This unexpected encounter changes everything: Earth trembles, and hearts explode… It’s love!

Starring: Patrick Hivon, Piper Perabo, Gilles Renaud, Élizabeth Mageren, Éric Kamala Boulianne, Connor Jessup, Gord Rand, Jean-Carl Boucher, Leona Son, Sienna Feghouli, Denis Houle, Benoît Mauffette, Arlen Aguayo Stewart and Martin Dubreuil.

Director & Scriptwriter: Anne Émond
Producer: Sylvain Corbeil
Director of Photography: Olivier Gossot
Production Designer: Sylvain Lemaitre
Costume Designer: Patricia McNeil
Editor: Anita Roth
Composer: Christophe Lamarche-Ledoux
Line Producer: Marie-Claire Lalonde

About Immina Films:

Founded in 2022, distribution company Immina Films is a team with a passion for cinema whose main goal is to promote Quebec films. Concretely, this means both distributing recent works and sub-distributing an extensive catalogue which includes hundreds of iconic Quebec productions. Since its creation, Immina Films has distributed such hits as 23 DÉCEMBRE (Golden Screen Award winner at the 2023 Canadian Screen Awards), LE TEMPS D’UN ÉTÉ, SIMPLE COMME SYLVAIN (César for Best Foreign Film), 1995 and MLLE BOTTINE. Immina Films is also growing its foreign film catalogue which includes European works IO CAPITANO and SARAH BERHNARDT: LA DIVINE. This year’s upcoming films include MENTEUSE (Compulsive Liar 2), AMOUR APOCALYPSE (Peak Everything) and LES FURIES.

#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: NEW TRAILER FOR “OUT STANDING”

Out Standing, by director Mélanie Charbonneau (Fabulous), will have its World Premiere this September at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The film boasts a stellar cast that includes Nina Kiri (Handmaid’s Tale) as Sandra Perron, Vincent Leclerc (Allen Sunshine), and Enrico Colantoni (Humane, English Teacher).

In 1995, after returning home from a peacekeeping mission in Croatia, Captain Sandra Perron—Canada’s first female infantry officer—stuns the military by resigning abruptly. When a disturbing photo surfaces of her tied to a tree in uniform, apparently unconscious, questions spiral. Pursued by journalists and a relentless military investigation, Sandra is thrust into a reluctant journey to confront buried traumas and the true cost of loyalty and sacrifice. Refusing to label herself a victim, she reveals a story of fierce courage and resilience, uncovering the battles fought within her own ranks. Based on a powerful true story of endurance against the odds.

Director: Mélanie Charbonneau
Screenplay: Mélanie Charbonneau, Martine Pagé
Principal Cast: Nina Kiri, Vincent Leclerc, Enrico Colantoni, Adrian Walters, Antoine Pilon, Stephen Thomas Kalyn, Conrad Pla
Producer: Marcel Giroux, Julia Rosenberg
Production Company: GPA Films, January Media
Canadian distributor: Sphere Films

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “GOOD FORTUNE”

Premiering at TIFF ’25, Aziz Ansari‘s directorial debut GOOD FORTUNE gets a new Trailer today! Cineplex Pictures release October 17, 2025.

Details:

Written and Directed by: Aziz Ansari
Cast: Seth Rogen, Aziz Ansari, Keanu Reeves, Keke Palmer, Sandra Oh
Synopsis: In GOOD FORTUNE, a well-meaning but rather inept angel named Gabriel (Keanu Reeves) meddles in the lives of a struggling gig worker (Aziz Ansari) and a wealthy venture capitalist (Seth Rogen).

Lionsgate presents, in association with Media Capital Technologies, a Garam Fiilms / Keep Your Head / Yang Pictures production.

About Cineplex Pictures
Cineplex Pictures, a division of Cineplex, is a distributor of a wide range of films. Recent titles include Ballerina, Flight Risk, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, The Strangers: Chapter 1, The Queen of My Dreams, The Boy and the Heron, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, SAW X, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, and John Wick: Chapter 4.

#TIFF25: DISCOVERY PROGRAMME UNVEILED FOR 2025 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Today, TIFF proudly announces its 2025 Discovery programme, presented by Air France, offering audiences a rare treat to witness talented, visionary filmmakers from across the globe premiering their debut and sophomore features. This year’s diverse lineup kicks off strongly with its opening night film, Maddie’s Secret, an unmissable directorial debut satirizing and skewering content culture from iconic alt-comedian John Early, who, alongside a troupe of comedians including Kate Berlant, Vanessa Bayer, and Conner O’Malley, plays the titular role. Other anticipated films include Cato Kusters’ Julian, produced by Michiel and Lukas Dhont; Nadia Latif’s The Man in My Basement, starring Corey Hawkins and Willem Dafoe; Zamo Mkhwanazi’s Laundry, a rare co-production between South Africa and Switzerland; Taratoa Stappard’s Māori Gothic Mārama; and Canadian director and TIFF alum Eva Thomas’ Nika & Madison.

The Discovery programme holds a rich history of championing and launching some of the world’s most acclaimed filmmakers, such as Ildikó Enyedi, Alfonso Cuarón, Julie Dash, Jean-Marc Vallée, Christopher Nolan, Maren Ade, Yorgos Lanthimos, Barry Jenkins, Dea Kulumbegashvili, Emma Seligman, and Elegance Bratton. The 2025 Discovery selection has been programmed by Dorota Lech, Jason Anderson, Kelly Boutsalis, Diana Cadavid, Robyn Citizen, June Kim, and Jason Ryle. The programme will deliver 23 World Premiere titles, spanning 30+ countries, including Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey, promising this year to be a truly unmissable moment to catch the international voices of the future.

2025 Discovery Programme (in alphabetical order):

100 Sunset | Kunsang Kyirong | Canada

World Premiere

Amoeba | Siyou Tan | Singapore/Netherlands/France/Spain/South Korea

World Premiere

As We Breathe | Şeyhmus Altun | Turkey/Denmark

World Premiere

Babystar | Joscha Bongard | Germany

World Premiere

Bayaan | Bikas Ranjan Mishra | India

World Premiere

Dinner With Friends | Sasha Leigh Henry | Canada

World Premiere

Egghead Republic | Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja | Sweden

World Premiere

Forastera | Lucía Aleñar Iglesias | Spain/Italy/Sweden

World Premiere

Ghost School | Seemab Gul | Pakistan

World Premiere

Julian | Cato Kusters | Belgium/Netherlands

World Premiere

Laundry | Zamo Mkhwanazi | Switzerland/South Africa

World Premiere

Little Lorraine | Andy Hines | Canada

World Premiere

Maddie’s Secret | John Early | USA

World Premiere

Mārama | Taratoa Stappard | New Zealand

World Premiere

Nika & Madison | Eva Thomas | Canada

World Premiere

Noviembre | Tomás Corredor | Colombia/Mexico/Brazil/Norway

World Premiere

Oca | Karla Badillo | Mexico/Argentina

World Premiere

Our Father | Goran Stankovic | Serbia/Italy/Croatia/North Macedonia/Montenegro/Bosnia and Herzegovina

World Premiere

Out Standing | Mélanie Charbonneau | Canada

World Premiere

Retreat | Ted Evans | United Kingdom

World Premiere

Sink | Zain Duraie | Jordan/Saudi Arabia/Qatar/France

World Premiere

The Man in My Basement | Nadia Latif | United Kingdom/USA

World Premiere

The Son and the Sea | Stroma Cairns | United Kingdom

World Premiere

Tomorrow’s TIFF Takeover is the Midnight Madness programme and the last announcement of the week. More Festival details will be announced in the coming weeks. The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs September 4–14, 2025.

#TIFF25: PLATFORM PROGRAM ANNOUNCED FOR 2025 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

TIFF today announces its 2025 Platform programme lineup, marking the tenth anniversary of the Festival’s auteur competitive section, which champions bold directorial vision and distinctive storytelling. Platform offers audiences a first glimpse at some of the most compelling cinematic voices on the rise. This year’s edition features 10 exceptional films representing 19 countries. The programme opens with the World Premiere of Steve, from Belgian director Tim Mielants (Small Things Like These, Peaky Blinders), starring Tracey Ullman and Academy Award–winner Cillian Murphy. While this marks Mielants’ first appearance at TIFF, this is his third collaboration with Murphy. The other nine films participating in the Platform competition are: Farnoosh Samadi’s Between Dreams and Hope, Orian Barki and Meriem Bennani’s Bouchra, György Pálfi’s Hen, Pauline Loquès’ Nino, Bretten Hannam’s Sk+te’kmujue’katik (At the Place of Ghosts), Milagros Mumenthaler’s The Currents, Yoon Ga-eun’s The World of Love, Valentyn Vasyanovych’s To The Victory!, and Kasia Adamik’s Winter of the Crow.

The Platform programme is curated by TIFF’s programming team under the direction of Robyn Citizen, Platform Lead and Director of Programming, Festival & Cinematheque. Platform spotlights 10 films from early- to mid-career filmmakers poised to break out on the world stage. Past Official Selections include acclaimed works such as Anthony Shim’s Riceboy Sleeps (TIFF ’22), Darius Marder’s Sound of Metal (TIFF ’19), Pietro Marcello’s Martin Eden (TIFF ’19), William Oldroyd’s Lady Macbeth (TIFF ’17), and Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight (TIFF ’16). All films in this programme are eligible for the Platform Award, which is selected by an international jury. The winning filmmaker will receive a $20,000 CAD cash prize. The Platform Award will be presented as part of the TIFF awards ceremony on the last day of the Festival on Sunday, September 14.

This year’s Jury Chair is Spanish film writer, editor, and director Carlos Marqués-Marcet, who won the 2024 Platform Award for They Will Be Dust. He is joined by Oscar-nominated actor, writer, composer, and director Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who was most recently at the Festival with Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths (TIFF ’24), and Québécois filmmaker Chloé Robichaud, whose acclaimed Sundance hit Two Women recently had a theatrical run at TIFF Lightbox, and who has attended TIFF previously for her films Days of Happiness (TIFF ’23), Boundaries (TIFF ’16), and her short film Delphine (TIFF ’19), among others. Previous jury members include: Atom Egoyan, Hur Jin-ho, Jane Schoenbrun, Claire Denis, Béla Tarr, Brian De Palma, Mira Nair, Riz Ahmed, Jia Zhang-Ke, Patricia Rozema, and Barry Jenkins.

Watch Robyn Citizen’s insights on this year’s Platform programme here:

2025 Platform programme (in alphabetical order):

Between Dreams and Hope | Farnoosh Samadi | Iran

World Premiere

Farnoosh Samadi, whose feature film 180° Rule (TIFF ’20) and short film Disappearance (TIFF ’17) both premiered at the Festival, returns with Between Dreams and Hope. In this bold queer love story, Azad (Fereshteh Hosseini), a trans man, and Nora (Sadaf Asgari) are two young lovers toggling between tradition and modernity in their society and family. Together, they travel to a remote Iranian village to face Azad’s estranged father and obtain documents that would permit the pair to live authentically.

Bouchra | Orian Barki & Meriem Bennani | Italy/Morocco/USA

World Premiere

Longtime collaborators and partners, visual artist Meriem Bennani and documentary filmmaker Orian Barki, known for their previous works Life on the CAPS (TIFF ’22) and 2 Lizards (TIFF ’22), bring their latest animated project, Bouchra, to the Festival, marking the first animated feature to premiere in Platform. In this film, 35-year-old Moroccan Coyote and filmmaker, Bouchra, lives in New York and chronicles the impact her queerness has on her relationship with her mother, Aïcha, in Casablanca. Cutting between the film that’s forming and real-life conversations between Bouchra and Aïcha (recreations of phone calls that took place between Bennani and her mother), Bouchra is a humorous and tender portrait of the love and pain that both sides have to understand in order to move forward.

Hen | György Pálfi | Germany/Greece/Hungary

World Premiere

György Pálfi’s Hen, an inventive live-action feature, chronicles a remarkable chicken as she escapes from her grisly fate in this unorthodox and bold story. Escaping from a chicken farm, she finds refuge in the courtyard of a crumbling restaurant. There, she discovers love, confronts the pecking order, and fights to protect her eggs from a greedy owner. Her droll yet touching quest for motherhood mirrors the messy compromises and silent struggles of human lives.

Nino | Pauline Loquès | France

International Premiere

With a breakout performance from TIFF ’17 Rising Star and Québécois actor Théodore Pellerin (whose previous TIFF credits include Never Steady, Never Still, Family First, and Genèse and the most recent, Solo), Pauline Loquès’ Nino follows its titular character (played by Pellerin) over three pivotal days. Nino faces a major health challenge, but first, his doctors have assigned him two vital tasks. These two missions lead the young man on a journey through Paris, compelling him to reconnect with the world — and himself.

Sk+te’kmujue’katik (At the Place of Ghosts) | Bretten Hannam | Canada/Belgium

World Premiere

From Indigenous, two-spirited filmmaker Bretten Hannam (Wildhood, TIFF ’21) comes Sk+te’kmujue’katik (At the Place of Ghosts), which follows siblings Mise’l and Antle who were close as children, but trauma from their upbringing has caused them to drift apart as adults. When they are both haunted by a malevolent spirit of bones and rot, the siblings are forced to reunite and venture deep into the forest to confront their trauma together.

Steve | Tim Mielants | Ireland/United Kingdom | Opening Film

World Premiere

Set in the mid-90s, Steve is a reimagining of Max Porter’s Sunday Times bestseller Shy. The film follows a pivotal day in the life of headteacher Steve (Academy Award winner Cillian Murphy) and his students at a last-chance reform school amidst a world that has forsaken them. As Steve fights to protect the school’s integrity and impending closure, we witness him grappling with his own mental health. In parallel to Steve’s struggles, we meet Shy (Jay Lycurgo), a troubled teen caught between his past and what lies ahead as he tries to reconcile his inner fragility with his impulse for self-destruction and violence.

The Currents | Milagros Mumenthaler | Switzerland/Argentina

World Premiere

Known for her evocative storytelling, filmmaker Milagros Mumenthaler, whose acclaimed film Abrir puertas y ventanas (Back to Stay) premiered at TIFF ’11, unveils her latest drama, The Currents. The enigmatic film follows Lina on a business trip to Geneva. She is driven by an impulse that puts her life in danger. On her return to Buenos Aires, Lina keeps what happened hidden, but the past which she escaped from emerges and puts her present in abyss.

The World of Love | Yoon Ga-eun | South Korea

World Premiere

Yoon Ga-eun’s third feature, The World of Love, brings together Seo Su-bin in her debut role with Chang Hyae-jin (Parasite, Crash Landing on You). The film introduces us to Jooin (Seo Su-bin), an enigmatic 17-year-old high school student who is curious about and baffled by love. One day, some words she says in a fit of anger cause a major scene. Afterwards, she receives anonymous notes questioning her behaviour, and cracks begin to appear in her formerly peaceful world. “Jooin, who is the real you?”

To The Victory! | Valentyn Vasyanovych | Ukraine/Lithuania

World Premiere

The latest from multi-talented filmmaker Valentyn Vasyanovych, who also stars as the lead character in To The Victory! Ukraine, in the near future. The war has ended. A film director is out of work, out of luck, and out of touch with his family abroad. While his wife and daughter built a new life in Vienna, he stays behind — confused, restless, and convinced that things will get better. Eventually. Probably. Maybe.

Winter of the Crow | Kasia Adamik | Poland/Luxembourg/United Kingdom

World Premiere

Winter of the Crow, stars Lesley Manville, Zofia Wichłacz, and Tom Burke and is based on a short story by Nobel Prize–winning author Olga Tokarczuk. Set during the onset of Poland’s Martial Law era, the country is shut down just as British psychiatry professor Dr. Joan Andrews (Manville) arrives as a guest lecturer in Warsaw. Taxis have been replaced by tanks; citizens are treated like criminals. As chaos engulfs the city, Joan witnesses a brutal murder by the secret police. In mortal danger and trapped as Poland is closed down, Joan becomes a hunted fugitive running for her life.

2025 Platform Award Jury (photographed above left to right)

Carlos Marqués-Marcet, Jury Chair

Carlos Marqués-Marcet is a writer, director, and editor from Barcelona. He co-wrote and directed 10.000 KM (2014), Anchor and Hope (2017), The Days to Come (2019), and his latest film, They Will Be Dust, which won the Platform Award at TIFF ’24. He has also directed several projects for Spanish platforms such as HBO and Atresmedia.

Marianne Jean-Baptiste

Marianne Jean-Baptiste is an Oscar-nominated actor, writer, composer, and director. Known for her acclaimed performance in Secrets & Lies (1996), she recently reunited with Mike Leigh for Hard Truths (TIFF ’24), earning major critic awards. Television credits include Without a Trace, Surface, Soundtrack, Homecoming, Blindspot, and Broadchurch. Film credits include Rumble Through the Dark, Boxing Day, In Fabric, Training Day, RoboCop, and 28 Days.

Chloé Robichaud

Chloé Robichaud is a Québec-based filmmaker and screenwriter who first gained recognition with Herd Leader (Canada’s Top Ten, TIFF ’12) and Sarah Prefers to Run (TIFF ’13). Further work showcased at the Festival includes Boundaries (TIFF ’16), Days of Happiness (TIFF ’23), and Delphine (TIFF ’19), which won the Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film. Her latest feature, Two Women, received the 2025 Special Jury Award at Sundance.

The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs September 4–14, 2025.

#TIFF: ADDITIONAL GALAS AND SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR 2025 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

TIFF is set to dazzle this September as it celebrates its 50th edition with a red carpet–ready slate of Official Selections from its Gala and Special Presentations programmes. As part of its full list, TIFF is presenting world premieres including Aziz Ansari’s Good Fortune, Maude Apatow’s Poetic License, Isabel Coixet’s Three Goodbyes, Romain Gavras’ Sacrifice, David Michôd’s Christy, Yeon Sang-ho’s The Ugly, James Vanderbilt’s Nuremberg, and Alice Winocour’s Couture, as well as films from some of the most acclaimed filmmakers working today, including Guillermo del Toro, Mamoru Hosoda, Zacharias Kunuk, Baz Luhrmann, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Jafar Panahi, Benny Safdie, and Gus Van Sant. As Toronto prepares to welcome the world, these selections signal a Festival season defined by cinematic excellence, star-studded red carpets with crowd-favourite Hollywood and international talent, and those marquee moments on and off the screen that have defined TIFF for the past five decades. The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, will take place September 4–14, 2025.

The Gala and Special Presentations programmes are recognized for celebrating the very best of contemporary cinema across genres and styles, from all corners of the world. This year, TIFF is pleased to invite films from over 30 countries that showcase bold storytelling, global perspectives, and the power of film to connect audiences across cultures.

TIFF is also announcing that Canadian director Anne Émond’s Peak Everything will be this year’s Closing Night Gala, taking place on the last evening of the Festival, Saturday, September 13.

2025 Galas (in alphabetical order):

• previously announced

*A Private Life | Rebecca Zlotowski | France
North American Premiere

Adulthood | Alex Winter | USA
World Premiere

Driver’s Ed | Bobby Farrelly | USA
World Premiere

Eleanor the Great | Scarlett Johansson | USA
North American Premiere

Eternity | David Freyne | USA
World Premiere

Fuze | David Mackenzie | United Kingdom
World Premiere

Glenrothan | Brian Cox | United Kingdom
World Premiere

Good Fortune | Aziz Ansari | USA
World Premiere

*Hamnet | Chloé Zhao | United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere

*Homebound | Neeraj Ghaywan | India
North American Premiere

*John Candy: I Like Me | Colin Hanks | USA
World Premiere

Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery | Ally Pankiw | Canada
World Premiere

Nuremberg | James Vanderbilt | USA
World Premiere

Palestine 36 | Annemarie Jacir | Palestine/United Kingdom/France/Denmark/Qatar/Saudi Arabia/Jordan
World Premiere

Peak Everything | Anne Émond | Canada | Closing Night Gala
Toronto Premiere

*Roofman | Derek Cianfrance | USA

World Premiere

*She Has No Name | Peter Ho-Sun Chan | Hong Kong/China
North American Premiere

Sholay | Ramesh Sippy | India | 50th Anniversary Restoration
North American Premiere

Swiped | Rachel Lee Goldenberg | USA
World Premiere

*The Choral | Nicholas Hytner | United Kingdom
World Premiere

Two Pianos | Arnaud Desplechin | France
World Premiere

2025 Special Presentations (in alphabetical order):

• previously announced

A Pale View of Hills | Kei Ishikawa | Japan/United Kingdom/Poland
North American Premiere

A Poet | Simón Mesa Soto | Colombia/Germany/Sweden

North American Premiere

Bad Apples | Jonatan Etzler | United Kingdom
World Premiere

Ballad of a Small Player | Edward Berger | United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere

California Schemin’ | James McAvoy | United Kingdom/USA
World Premiere

Calle Malaga | Maryam Touzani | Morocco/France/Spain/Germany/Belgium
North American Premiere

Charlie Harper | Tom Dean, Mac Eldridge | USA

World Premiere

Christy | David Michôd | USA
World Premiere

Couture | Alice Winocour | USA/France
World Premiere

Dead Man’s Wire | Gus Van Sant | USA
North American Premiere

Degrassi: Whatever It Takes | Lisa Rideout | Canada
World Premiere

Easy’s Waltz | Nic Pizzolatto | USA
World Premiere

EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert | Baz Luhrmann | Australia/USA
World Premiere

Eternal Return | Yaniv Raz | United Kingdom/USA
World Premiere

Frankenstein | Guillermo del Toro | USA

North American Premiere

*Franz | Agnieszka Holland | Czech Republic/Germany/Poland
World Premiere

*Good News | Byun Sung-hyun | South Korea
World Premiere

*Hedda | Nia DaCosta | USA
World Premiere

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You | Mary Bronstein | USA
Canadian Premiere

It Was Just an Accident | Jafar Panahi | Iran/France/Luxembourg
Canadian Premiere

It Would Be Night in Caracas | Mariana Rondón, Marité Ugás | Mexico
World Premiere

Kokuho | Lee Sang-il | Japan
North American Premiere

Ky Nam Inn | Leon Le | Vietnam
World Premiere

Lovely Day | Philippe Falardeau | Canada
World Premiere

Meadowlarks | Tasha Hubbard | Canada
World Premiere

*Mile End Kicks | Chandler Levack | Canada
World Premiere

Monkey in a Cage | Anurag Kashyap | India
World Premiere

Nouvelle Vague | Richard Linklater | France
Canadian Premiere

Poetic License | Maude Apatow | USA
World Premiere

Primavera | Damiano Michieletto | Italy/France

World Premiere

Project Y | Lee Hwan | South Korea
World Premiere

*Rental Family | HIKARI | USA/Japan
World Premiere

Rose of Nevada | Mark Jenkin | United Kingdom
North American Premiere

Sacrifice | Romain Gavras | United Kingdom/Greece
World Premiere

Scarlet | Mamoru Hosoda | Japan
North American Premiere

Sentimental Value | Joachim Trier | Norway/France/Denmark/Germany/Sweden/United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere

Silent Friend | Ildikó Enyedi | Germany/Hungary/France
North American Premiere

Sirāt | Óliver Laxe | France/Spain
North American Premiere

Sound of Falling | Mascha Schilinski | Germany
North American Premiere

*Steal Away | Clement Virgo | Canada/Belgium
World Premiere

*The Captive | Alejandro Amenábar | Spain/Italy
World Premiere

*The Christophers | Steven Soderbergh | United Kingdom
World Premiere

*The Lost Bus | Paul Greengrass | USA
World Premiere

The Secret Agent | Kleber Mendonça Filho | Brazil/France/Netherlands/Germany
Canadian Premiere

The Smashing Machine | Benny Safdie | USA
North American Premiere

The Testament of Ann Lee | Mona Fastvold | UK
North American Premiere | Presented in 70mm

The Ugly | Yeon Sang-ho | South Korea

World Premiere

Three Goodbyes | Isabel Coixet | Italy/Spain

World Premiere

Train Dreams | Clint Bentley | USA
International Premiere

Tuner | Daniel Roher | USA
Canadian Premiere

Uiksaringitara (Wrong Husband) | Zacharias Kunuk | Canada
North American Premiere

*Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery | Rian Johnson | USA
World Premiere

You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution… | Nick Davis | 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.

#TIFF: 11 MORE GALAS AND SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR 2025 TORONTO INTERATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

TIFF is preparing to welcome the world this September for its 50th Festival, announcing 11 more Official Selections in the Gala and Special Presentations programmes. Reflecting TIFF’s commitment to champion new perspectives and cinematic excellence to its diverse international public audience, these films — Nicholas Hytner’s The Choral, Agnieszka Holland’s Franz, Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound, Paul Greengrass’ The Lost Bus, Rebecca Zlotowski’s A Private Life, HIKARI’s Rental Family, Derek Cianfrance’s Roofman, Peter Ho-Sun Chan’s She Has No Name, Clement Virgo’s Steal Away, and Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery — span multiple continents and storytelling traditions, representing the Festival’s international reach and curatorial inclusivity. The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, will take place September 4–14, 2025.

“Since its inception, TIFF has championed global cinema that opens our eyes and brings us together,” said Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “We are delighted to share 11 more titles from our Gala and Special Presentations programmes that showcase the remarkable originality and excellence of today’s most exciting and acclaimed directors. These films reflect a sweeping range of voices and styles that embodies the spirit of TIFF and our commitment to a public audience.”

The newly announced titles add to a dynamic, international Festival that honours TIFF’s five-decade legacy of discovering and elevating the very best in cinema.

Galas (in alphabetical order):

The Choral | Nicholas Hytner | UK

World Premiere | Gala Presentation

Homebound | Neeraj Ghaywan | India

North American Premiere | Gala Presentation

Hamnet | Chloé Zhao | UK

Canadian Premiere | Gala Presentation

A Private Life | Rebecca Zlotowski | France

North American Premiere | Gala Presentation

Roofman | Derek Cianfrance | USA

World Premiere | Gala Presentation

She Has No Name | Peter Ho-Sun Chan | China

North American Premiere | Gala Presentation

Special Presentations (in alphabetical order):

Franz | Agnieszka Holland | Czech Republic/Germany/Poland

World Premiere | Special Presentation

The Lost Bus | Paul Greengrass | USA

World Premiere | Special Presentation

Rental Family | HIKARI | USA/Japan

World Premiere | Special Presentation

Steal Away | Clement Virgo | Canada/Belgium

World Premiere | Special Presentation

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery | Rian Johnson | USA

World Premiere | Special Presentation

The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs September 4–14, 2025. The full Festival schedule will be released on tiff.net on Tuesday, August 12.

Upcoming announcements:

TIFF Takeover 1: July 21–24

Mon., Jul. 21: Galas & Special Presentations

Tue., Jul. 22: Platform & Jury

Wed., Jul. 23: Discovery

Thu., Jul. 24: Midnight Madness

Takeover 2: August 5–8

Tue., Aug. 5: Centrepiece

Wed., Aug. 6: TIFF Docs

Thu., Aug. 7: Shortcuts & Primetime

Fri., Aug. 8: Wavelengths & TIFF Classics

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

Elevation Pictures x Mr. Will would love to give Toronto readers a chance to attend a special screening of TIFF ’24 selection SHOOK. Screening will take place July 16, 2025 in Toronto at Varsity Cinema.

Synopsis:

From Toronto-based director Amar Wala and starring Saamer Usmani, Amy Forsyth and Bernard White, the film follows struggling writer Ashish who is thrown for several loops when he falls for barista Claire and learns his estranged father has just been diagnosed with Parkinson’s.

A little more on SHOOK here:

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK, tag a friend who you’ll take!

Rules and regulations here.

Elevation Pictures release SHOOK August 8, 2025.

(Photo/video credits: Elevation Pictures/TIFF)

#TIFF: FIRST ROUND OF SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR 2025 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

TIFF is sharing the first five Special Presentation titles of its Official Selection set to have their World Premieres at the Festival’s 50th edition this September. These are: Alejandro Amenábar’s The Captive, Steven Soderbergh’s The Christophers, Sung-hyun Byun’s Good News, Nia DaCosta’s Hedda, and Chandler Levack’s Mile End Kicks. These films hail from Canada, Spain/Italy, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and reflect the bold vision, global perspective, and artistic excellence that have defined TIFF for five decades. The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, will take place September 4–14, 2025.

“These first five films of our Official Selection reflect the innovation, heart, and global perspective that have made our Festival a home for great cinema over the past 50 editions,” said Cameron Bailey, CEO, TIFF. “We’re excited to kick-off our Special Presentations with Chandler Levack’s Mile End Kicks, a young, Canadian director who has very close ties to TIFF in addition to these established directors. We can’t wait to share more in the weeks ahead as we celebrate this historic year with audiences and filmmakers from around the world.”

More on Elevation Pictures’ MILE END KICKS starring Barbie Ferreira:

Grace Pine, a 23-year-old music critic from Toronto, moves to Montreal in the summer of 2011 with the goal of writing a 33 1/3 book about Alanis Morrisette’s Jagged Little Pill. Instead, she falls in love with two guys in the same struggling indie rock band, vowing to become their publicist. “Mile End Kicks” is a film about the Montreal music scene, romantic obsession, and Mile End, a place where young people go to retire.

More on HEDDA, from MGM Studios, starring Tessa Thompson (still in banner):

From writer/director Nia DaCosta comes a provocative, modern reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s classic play. HEDDA (Tessa Thompson) finds herself torn between the lingering ache of a past love and the quiet suffocation of her present life. Over the course of one charged night, long-repressed desires and hidden tensions erupt—pulling her and everyone around her into a spiral of manipulation, passion, and betrayal.

Writer/Director: Nia DaCosta

Based on: Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen

Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Gabrielle Nadig, Nia DaCosta, Tessa Thompson

Cast: Tessa Thompson, Imogen Poots, Tom Bateman, Nicholas Pinnock, and Nina Hoss

Music by: Hildur Gudnadottir

Costume Designer: Lindsay Pugh

Editor: Jacob Schulsinger

Production Designer: Cara Brower

Director of Photography: Sean Bobbitt, BSC

These Official Selection films join the previously announced Opening Night Film, John Candy: I Like Me. This year’s official screening venues will once again include TIFF Lightbox, Roy Thomson Hall, the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, Cineplex’s Scotiabank Theatre Toronto, Glenn Gould Studio at the Canadian Broadcast Centre, Cinema Park at David Pecaut Square, and the Royal Alexandra Theatre. The seventh edition of the TIFF Tribute Awards Gala will take place on Sunday, September 7, 2025, at Fairmont Royal York Hotel.

In addition to the film screenings, the Festival offers live post-screening Q&As, the In Conversation With… series, the Industry Conference (Sept. 5–9), as well as the popular Festival Street, which returns for opening weekend along King Street West, from Peter Street to University Avenue, with food trucks and free activations — the perfect place just to sit back and people-watch.

On the last day of the Festival, TIFF announces the winners of its various awards. Alongside the popular People’s Choice Awards, presented by Rogers, this September introduces the brand-new International People’s Choice Award. Also returning are the esteemed Jury Prizes including the Platform Award, now celebrating its 10th year, and honours from FIPRESCI and NETPAC. For a full list of past winners, visit tiff.net/awards.

Key 2025 Festival Links:
Programmers: https://tiff.net/programmers
Ticketing Dates: https://tiff.net/about-the-festival
Media Library: https://tiff.net/media/library/festival
TIFF: The Market: https://tiff.net/themarket (coming in 2026)

Film Details (in alphabetical order):

The Captive | Alejandro Amenábar | Spain / Italy
World Premiere | Special Presentation

The Christophers | Steven Soderbergh | UK
World Premiere | Special Presentation

Good News | Sung-hyun Byun | South Korea
World Premiere | Special Presentation

Hedda | Nia DaCosta | USA
World Premiere | Special Presentation

Mile End Kicks | Chandler Levack | Canada
World Premiere | Special Presentation

The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs September 4–14, 2025. More Festival details will be shared in the coming weeks including the return of TIFF Takeovers.