TIFF Lightbox July/August 2025 Programming Highlights

TIFF is showcasing a dynamic slate of programming and special events this summer including new restorations and a lineup of special guests. Auteur director Guillermo del Toro will return to the Lightbox in July with a thrilling carte blanche series on Canadian horror that the maestro of monsters handpicked himself. TIFF Cinematheque will present a retrospective on Frederick Wiseman featuring new 4K restorations of his films, joining cultural institutions across North America in celebrating his incomparable and influential legacy. Further highlights include a Canada Day screening of David Cronenberg’s Videodrome; an evening with Beverly Glenn-Copeland and Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland for a free showing of Caring Cabin and post-screening performance on July 5; and on July 20, a music set and discussion led by The Swell Season. Additional special guests coming to TIFF Lightbox this season include Dylan Adamson, Broey Deschanel, Jessamyn Fiore, Heidi Levitt, and Adam Nayman.

Tickets are still available for The TIFF Story in 50 Films, screening June through August and featuring in-person Q&As with James and Roger Deakins; Atom Egoyan and Arsinée Khanjian; Bruce McDonald; Sarah Polley; and more. Curated by Cameron Bailey, this marquee series showcases 50 landmark films from around the world that played a significant role in connecting with audiences and reflecting the story of TIFF. For details, click here.

Looking ahead to the fall, audiences will have the opportunity to explore the films of famed Toronto multi-disciplinary artist and filmmaker Joyce Wieland (1930–1998) in Jigs and Reels: The Complete Films of Joyce Wieland, screening October through November. Co-presented by the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), TIFF Cinematheque, and AD HOC, this major retrospective will complement the exhibition Joyce Wieland: Heart On, opening at the AGO on June 18, 2025. The series is curated by Jim Shedden, Curator, Special Projects & Director, Publishing, AGO, and Georgiana Uhlyarik, Fredrik S. Eaton Curator of Canadian Art, AGO. TIFF Cinematheque screenings will go on sale to TIFF Members on Wednesday, September 24, and to the public on Friday, September 26. Books on Joyce Wieland are now available at the TIFF Shop. Stay tuned for more information.

Information is subject to change. Please visit tiff.net for up-to-date programming details. Tickets for July programming will be available to TIFF Members on Wednesday, June 11, and to the public on Friday, June 13. Tickets for August programming will be available to TIFF Members on Wednesday, July 16, and to the public on Friday, July 18.

TIFF Cinematheque

From Rabid to Skinamarink: Canadian Movie Madness
July 9–13
A curated series by Guillermo del Toro celebrating influential horror films made north of the 49th parallel, featuring iconic and boundary-pushing films by David Cronenberg, Bruce McDonald, and Vincenzo Natali. The visionary filmmaker takes audiences on a chilling journey through the history of Canadian horror. Films in the programme include Rabid (1977), Cube (1997), Ginger Snaps (2000), Pontypool (2008), and Skinamarink (2022).

Frederick Wiseman: Body Politic
June 27–July 30
On the heels of a major restoration project of legendary documentarian Frederick Wiseman’s work, Frederick Wiseman: Body Politic features a slate of brand new 4K restorations courtesy of Zipporah Films. This retrospective takes the body as its focal point, a subject that cuts across many of Wiseman’s films in relation to how institutions exert control in both an individual and collective sense. Both timeless and still relevant today, the films in this programme include: Titicut Follies (1967), High School (1968), Hospital (1969), Law and Order (1969), Basic Training (1971), Primate (1974), Model (1980), The Store (1983), Near Death (1989), Ballet (1995), and Domestic Violence (2001).

From the Collection with Cameron Bailey

• July 1 (6:30pm) Videodrome (1983) dir. David Cronenberg

See the North presented by MUBI

• July 8 (6:30pm) Cairo Time (2009) dir. Ruba Nadda

TIFF Wavelengths Presents

• July 9 (7pm) Perforations: The Films of Gordon Matta-Clark featuring City Slivers (1976) and Splitting (1974) in never-before-projected 16mm prints, as well as Bingo/Ninths (1974), Conical Intersect (1975), Fresh Kill (1972), Day’s End (1975), and with guest curator Dylan Adamson and Jessamyn Fiore, Co-Director of the Estate of Gordon Matta-Clark.

TIFF Next Wave Presents

• July 16 (7pm) Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995) dir. Todd Solondz

MDFF Selects

• July 31 (6:30pm) Student Film Showcase 2025

Special Events and Guests July and August

• July 5: Caring Cabin (2023) dirs. Chelsea McMullan & Douglas Nayler Jr. with Beverly and Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland
  Legendary musician and transgender activist Beverly Glenn-Copeland joins TIFF alongside his creative partner and wife, the artist and activist Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland, for a free screening of their children’s show pilot Caring Cabin, a tender musical tribute to Copeland’s legacy of engaging young people and inspiring hope, resilience, and community through song. This family-friendly event features a Q&A with members of the creative team and a special performance by Beverly and Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland.
• July 20: Once (2007) dir. John Carney with The Swell Season
  Join TIFF for a special Q&A with Once co-stars Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová following a screening of John Carney’s Oscar-winning film. The duo will discuss their band The Swell Season, and new album Forward.
• July 29: TIFF Advance Screening: Walk With Me (2024) dir. Heidi Levitt Acclaimed casting director Heidi Levitt joins us in-person for the Canadian Premiere of her directorial debut Walk With Me, a deeply personal documentary four years in the making. In an intimate exploration of memory, identity, and the quiet power of love, Levitt chronicles her life as a caregiver to her husband Charlie after his early-onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis at just 57.
• August 6: Loved It: Broey Deschanel on Bend It Like Beckham (2002) dir. Gurinder Chadha
  Cultural critic, writer, and YouTube video essayist Broey Deschanel joins TIFF to present the bright and endlessly rewatchable hit comedy.
• August 8: Silver Screenings presented by SHINGRIX: A Serious Man (2009) dirs. Ethan Coen & Joel Coen
  Film critic and author of The Coen Brothers: This Book Really Ties the Films Together Adam Nayman joins TIFF for a talk about legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins’ long-standing collaboration with the Coen brothers following this free screening of the duo’s existential comedy alongside The TIFF Story in 50 Films.
• August 13: TIFF Next Wave 48-Hour Film Challenge Screening
  This year’s annual challenge, in which teams of young creators produce a short film in only 48 hours, is inspired by the charming cult classic School of Rock, screening as part of TIFF 50 celebrations in the Downtown West BIA’s Downtown Movies in the Park series. Celebrate the next wave of emerging filmmakers with this showing of all of the films shot during the 48-Hour Challenge.

TIFF Cinematheque

From the Collection with Cameron Bailey

• August 5: Crooklyn (1994) dir. Spike Lee

See the North presented by MUBI

• August 12: Scarborough (2021) dirs. Shasha Nakhai & Rich Williamson

Midnight Madness Presents

• August 12: The Editor (2014) dirs. Adam Brooks & Matthew Kennedy

The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, will run September 4–14, 2025. For more information, visit tiff.net. Festival media accreditation opens June 2 at 8am ET and closes on July 7 at 8pm ET.

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 the TIFF Content 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: the Government of Canada, Government of Ontario, and City of Toronto.

TIFF Cinematheque is supported by Ontario Creates and Canada Council for the Arts.

TIFF Silver Screenings is presented by SHINGRIX and supported by the New Horizons for Seniors Program.