Toronto’s 49th edition opens on September 5 with a feeling of change in the air.
Following a leadership shakeup earlier this year, TIFF has welcomed a new Presenting Sponsor in telecom giant Rogers following the exit of Bell Canada, and announced plans for the launch of an official market in 2026. But perhaps more importantly for the festival’s loyal, ticket-buying audience, there’s the promise of an abundance of red carpet stars, after several TIFF editions hobbled by post-pandemic hurdles and, last year, the dual obstacles of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.
Hollywood has always had a huge presence and influence at the festival, but TIFF’s best kept secret has been its launching pad for international cinema. Curating the best films from Berlin, Cannes, Venice, and beyond, this year Toronto will provide the North American debut for a number of buzzy and highly anticipated titles including Mati Diop’s Dahomey, Miguel Gomes’ Grand Tour, Roberto Minervini’s The Damned, Jia Zhang-Ke’s Caught By The Tides, Magnus van Horn’s The Girl With The Needle, Athina Rachel Tsangari’s Harvest, Walter Salles’ I’m Still Here, and much, much more. And that’s not to mention the numerous World Premieres from around the globe ranging from Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths to Woo Min-Ho’s Harbin to Sophie Deraspe’s Shepherds.
Beyond those big names, TIFF offers even more tantalizing and wide-ranging European cinema to discover through a number of titles backed by EFP (European Film Promotion). Recent headlines come to the fore in two documentaries, Anastasiia Bortuali’s Temporary Shelter and Sinead O’Shea’s Blue Road — The Edna O’Brien Story. The former finds Bortuali, an emerging filmmaker whose studies at the Saint Petersburg State University of Film and Television were interrupted by Russia’s war on Ukraine, chronicling life at a refugee camp in Asbru, Iceland. Meanwhile, O’Shea’s picture offers a portrait of the acclaimed, beloved, and groundbreaking Irish author, who passed away earlier this summer.
True stories from the recent past make their mark on a trio of intriguing films. Filmmaking duo Petar Valchanov and Kristina Grozeva pull tales a tale of military operation’s search for an alien object turns more earthbound in their latest Triumph. Those looking for genre thrills will find them in Frederik Louis Hviid’s heist flick The Quiet Ones, which unfolds the story behind Denmark’s biggest robbery of all time. Meanwhile, echoes of recent Hollywood aquatic dramas like Nyad and Young Woman And The Sea will surely be found in Frida Kempff’s period picture The Swedish Torpedo, which brings the story of a Swedish mother who is determined to swim the English channel to the big screen.
Family is at the heart of several films. Guilllaume Senez’s A Missing Part is sure to earn some attention with French superstar Romain Duris taking the lead role as an expatriate father in Tokyo looking to reunite with his daughter. Norwegian director Egil Pedersen aims to find heart and humor in the coming-of-age dramedy My Fathers’ Daughter in which a Sámi teenager firmly believes her father is none other than Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (who, yes, has a role in the picture). Meanwhile, 40 marks a turning point in two different movies centered on women facing transition in their lives: Jasmin Gordon’s The Courageous and Sarra Tsorakidis’ Ink Wash.
Rounding out the highlights are films that emphasize the broad scope of European cinematic storytelling. Dimitris Nakos weaves a tale of a neighborhood feud to that turns to bloody tragedy with Meat. Haft Rooz will tell the story of an Iranian human rights’ activist facing the choice of escape and saving her own life or continuing to fight for democracy in the drama Seven Days. Lastly, Crispin Glover will be sure to deliver something absolutely singular when he takes the title role in Mr. K, playing a magician stuck in a hotel facing an increasingly surreal series of events.
For those looking to get closer to international filmmakers and stars, TIFF’s In Conversation With… events including Hyun Bin and Lee Dong-wook, Jia Zhang-Ke and Rafael Manuel, and Cate Blanchett will serve as a nice complement to the bounty of movies to choose from.
The 49th edition of TIFF runs from September 5-15.
