TIFF 50
This year’s lineup is on fire. Outside the hotly anticipated Colin Hank’s doc, John Candy: I Like Me, and Rian Johnson’s latest, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, here are 5 films we’re keeping our eyes on in the festival’s 50th year!
- Honorary Chair and Award Winners: Actor Brendan Fraser is this year’s Honorary Chair. Other award winners include Idris Elba, Jodie Foster, Guillermo del Toro, and Channing Tatum.
- The 50th Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, will run September 4–14, 2025. Celebrate with the best of Canadian and global cinema, special events and talks with stars, plus TIFF’s Industry Conference. TIFF 50
DUST BUNNY
SYNOPSIS: In visionary creator Bryan Fuller’s (Hannibal, Pushing Daisies) fantastical and wickedly inventive feature directorial debut DUST BUNNY, a 10 year-old girl who joins forces with her hitman neighbor to confront each other’s monsters.
Ten year-old Aurora has a mysterious neighbor (Mads Mikkelsen) who kills real-life monsters; he’s a hitman for hire. So when Aurora needs help killing the monster that she believes ate her entire family, she procures his services. Suspecting that Aurora’s parents may have fallen victim to assassins gunning for him, the neighbor guiltily takes the job. To protect her, he’ll need to battle an onslaught of assassins and accept that some monsters are real.
IN THEATERS: December 5, 2025
DIRECTOR: Bryan Fuller
WRITER: Bryan Fuller
CAST: Mads Mikkelsen, Sigourney Weaver, David Dastmalchian, Sophie Slone
RUN TIME: 106 minutes TIFF 50
CAROLINA CAROLINE
In his latest slice of anarchic Americana, writer-director Adam Carter Rehmeier first introduces us to the always effervescent Samara Weaving (Guns Akimbo, TIFF ’19) as Caroline. Listless and living a small life in a small town, she dutifully cares for her single father (Jon Gries) though she longs to break from her dusty and dull world. But when she observes a handsome drifter (Kyle Gallner) pull a sly con for a few bucks, her curiosity sparks an introduction that ignites an apprenticeship. Before long, their lucrative, if untenable, criminal enterprise dovetails into a passionate romance.
CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN’
Actor James McAvoy makes his directorial debut with this irresistible, feel-good underdog tale about two Scottish men pretending to be Americans to achieve their dreams of hip-hop stardom. It’s based on a true story that’s stranger than fiction.
LILITH FAIR: Building a Mystery
![Lilith Fair_ Building a Mystery - [tiff.net]](https://i0.wp.com/reelnewsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/Lilith-Fair_-Building-a-Mystery-tiff.net_.png?resize=678%2C344&ssl=1)
This galvanizing documentary from director Ally Pankiw (I Used To Be Funny) takes us behind the scenes of Sarah McLachlan’s legendary all-women music festival and features interviews with performers including Bonnie Raitt, Erykah Badu, Olivia Rodrigo, and Emmylou Harris.
TUNER
A talented piano tuner’s meticulous skills for tuning pianos lead him to discover an unexpected aptitude for cracking safes, turning his life upside down.
For TIFF coverage from years past, click here!
TIFF 50
The consequences of going down that rabbit hole, sometimes literally, are a barrage of repressed childhood memories and the instability of her mother’s treatment. Mia’s trips reveal a trauma monster, more specifically, one made of mom’s blond locks. This hair monster torments Mia throughout her jacked-up journey.
Caitlin Acken Taylor is everything. Mia Sunshine Jones is no easy role, but Taylor lives it. She even creates Mia’s paintings and sculptures. Her fourth wall break, and the precise moment at which it occurs, is jarring and genius. 
For all things Fantasia 2025, 
Sophie Mara Baaden plays six-year-old Sadie with authentic innocence and sass. She has wonderful chemistry with Campbell. Lesley Ann Warren plays Nora’s waspy mother and provides the stereotypical artist’s parent doubtful “I told you so” tone. Nick Fink is fantastic as Sadie’s first-grade teacher Adam. He and Campbell are a striking duo. It doesn’t hurt that his singing voice Is delicious.
The script nails the loss of personal identity when a woman becomes a mother. The invisible labor and patriarchal structure often lead to isolation and lingering resentment. It delves into self-loathing and body changes. It tackles suburban social pressure, which can be a lot. On the flip side, she also perfectly captures the love-filled hyping up we do for our kids every single day. 
Campbell is ceaselessly charming. She is funny, self-effacing, anxiety-ridden, and pottymouthed, just the way I like my fellow Moms. As a woman who gave up a career performing to be a supportive partner and mother, NORA fills my soul with a knowing. 
The chance meeting of Fuentes and Luckey gives us insight into a music industry mystery. Diane, aka Q Lazzarus, tells us her history with music, beginning in her childhood Baptist church choir. She knew her tastes were different and embraced her unique and powerhouse presence. 
With all the elements of a successful career at her fingertips, her romance with club promoter Richard slowly changed things for the worse. The lack of recognition took its toll. Richard’s leaving, combined with the Philadelphia soundtrack snub, was the final straw, and the drugs introduced by Richard led to Q’s world crumbling. But out of destitution and depression, Q rises from the ashes of sex work, crack addiction, rehab, finding her husband, getting clean, and fighting to bring her son James home. 
James, now an adult, encourages his mother to reclaim her work. Eva, Q, and her former bandmates plan an upcoming concert. Chasing the dream of finally making her music and onstage persona a household name. Q’s newfound enthusiasm is infectious. Even though life had different plans, Q Lazzarus and Diane Luckey gave us one unforgettable story.
BROTHER VERSES BROTHER comes from director Ari Gold. (The Song of Sway Lake) This hybrid bonanza of music, storytelling, and familial exploration of Ari and Ethan Gold in their search for their father, Herbert Gold, is perfect for the SXSW 2025 audience. 
For all things SXSW, 
Footage from those rescued from collapsed buildings, unimaginable loss, children caught in a tornado of violence, every film is immersive and visceral. The bravery and passion of the filmmakers are on full display. The viewing experience is heavy, inspiring, and vital, particularly for those who believe we should stop funding humanitarian efforts abroad. Amongst turmoil on American soil, we should thank our lucky stars for the privilege of honoring the ongoing courage, compassion, and unity of the Gazan people. FROM GROUND ZERO is a must-watch. 
The revelations in the film are astounding. In a collab session, Ani confides in Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) that she’s never written a song with anyone else. Her warmth and honesty are not simply for show. Witnessing this creative potion-making is chill-inducing. At 18, Ani and Scot Fisher created Righteous Babe Records. Their partnership proved to be an emotional rollercoaster, for better or worse. The remnants of that time echo in her present-day reclamation of her power. 
1-800-ON-HER-OWN is a celebration of an artist in a league of her own. Ani DiFranco‘s relentless magic hangs in the air in my house. This film reintroduces her to the world. 
ALL YOU NEED IS DEATH
The script builds a vibrating anticipation. The audience has little information. Filmmaker Paul Duane slowly reveals our protagonists’ what, but the why remains a mystery. Based on dark Irish lore passed down through the maternal lineage and some ancient cursed story, the song drips with agony, even if the audience cannot initially understand a single word. All parties are consumed by its power the moment it is heard.
Only one character appears to coherently recall the film’s secretive canon, but only to a point. Rita’s son reveals the unspoken, generational seriousness of their circumstances. The drastic measures he takes to protect the legend are shocking. He must find Anna and her cohorts.
Quick visual and dialogue genre homages pop up from time to time. Horror fans will find a sly smirk spread across their lips while intently trying to figure out what the hell is going on. Cast members Simone Collins, Charlie Maher, Catherine Wiggins, and Nigel O’Neill are captivating. One performance in particular, while short-lived, is mesmerizing. 
Filmmaker Kailee McGee shares snapshots of her innermost thoughts on her journey with breast cancer. Tongue in cheek, manic, clever, stream of consciousness, unfiltered, and hilariously meta, CAN feels revelatory. It is celebratory irreverence. McGee makes her situation relatable and palpable. She is raw and funny as hell. I would 1000% watch a feature-length version. It has that “it” factor, and McGee owns every bit of its magic.
Alison Tavel sets off on a global journey to learn more about her estranged father’s mysterious invention and, ultimately, the man himself. 
Ali’s ability to disassociate makes sense. As a child of divorce when I was five years old, few memories remain. My father, like Ali’s, is still a stranger. She wrestles with differing opinions of who Don was. So many questions arise during her search. What the hell is a Resynator anyway? With all the hype surrounding its invention, why didn’t it blow up? Did depression play a part in Don’s accident? 
Danny Madden’s animation transitions are charming. We experience them alongside archival audio of Don demonstrating the Resynator. Ali utilizes a unique device in narrating the film in the form of a letter to her father, which makes more sense when a box arrives from her aunt. Her most poignant discovery comes in the form of long-lost letters from her father, found in the basement after the passing of her grandmother. 
Timoner gets a completely unfiltered look inside the magic and mayhem in 7 years of behind-the-scenes footage. It’s a competition between the vibrant, often cocky, argumentative, drug-fueled, genuinely talented musician behavior of BJM versus the chill, business-minded, trustworthy, equally gifted Dandys. Each band pushes the other to greatness with contrasting tactics. Ondi’s handheld freestyle way of shooting is immersive and tangible. With the rapid-fire editing and narration from Joel Gion and Courtney Taylor, you’re entirely entertained. Huge personalities clash, eccentricities push people’s buttons, and childhood trauma rears its ugly head. 
DIG! XX
To find out more information on all things Sundance 2024, head to 
Stress can do things to you. In THIN SKIN, Aham’s life is falling apart around him. Circumstances, some of his own doing and others out of left field, throw his days, health, and sanity into chaos.
Lila Schmitz brings audiences the magic of West Ireland through the melodies of the locals and the emotional pull of a tune. THE JOB OF SONGS is a toe-tapping, viscerally joyous film. 
The editing is masterful. The narrative flow is deliciously punctuated with L’Orange’s (Austin’s artist name) uniquely produced and created beats. His music is hypnotic, sampling blues and standards to assemble something fresh, almost binaural in its rhythms. While THE MAD WRITER follows Austin’s musical and surgical journey, it speaks universally to those suffering from depression and unsure of their place in the world. Austin says it best in the film. Everyone wants to feel “satisfied, clever, and useful.” He’s not wrong.
SONGS ABOUT F*CKING
In the fall of 2021, filmmaker James Gallagher rode across the country with Marc Rebillet on his sold-out Third Dose Tour to capture what it was about the artist, showman, and robe-clad musical alchemist that brought thousands of people out of their homes for the first time.
Directed by: Steve Buscemi
Experiencing Fanny’s songs for the first time, I immediately recognized the impact made on so many other artists. So how is Fanny not in my musical catalog? Jean, June, Alice, Brie, Patti, Cam, and Nickey were trailblazers who worked three times as hard as men and cranked out thought-provoking lyrics ahead of the times. Fanny was a feminist rock group with sharp wit and zero fear. The documentary utilizes sit-down interviews, studio sessions past and present, and live performances on stage and on television. The archival photography from Linda Wolf is extraordinary.
Fanny broke up due to a deadly combination of things; misogyny, societal times, no one big bop to make money, and having a studio that pushed them to their limits. As members came and went throughout the years, the sound morphed but always retained that iconic grit.
BUFF 2023 documentary feature STAND BY FOR FAILURE is an acid trip in creativity. An explosion of overlapping media and audio, jump cuts, and dissolves are mind-bending. Filmmaker Ryan Worsley takes us on a journey through Willy Wonka’s creepy ass tunnel whether or not we want to ride. Welcome to the world of Negativland. 
GEOFF MCFETRIDGE: DRAWING A LIFE
The mind of an artist is a splendid thing. SXSW 2023 doc GEOFF MCFETRIDGE: DRAWING A LIFE delves into the wondrous mind of a nurtured creative. Director Dan Covert puts a face and a name to the work we’ve seen for years. Meet Geoff McFetridge, graphic designer, visual artist, and family man. 
You must be logged in to post a comment.