TIFF announces first wave of World Premieres!

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.”

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, 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, free activations, and 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:

A reminder that Media Accreditation is now open and will close on July 7 at 8pm ET.

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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.

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.