TORONTO – Beyond the glitz of Hollywood red carpet premieres, the Toronto International Film Festival hosts a treasure trove of cinematic gems worth seeking out.
Here are five standout titles from this year’s TIFF.
“My Father’s Shadow”
Two young brothers join their estranged father on a day trip to Lagos in this film set against the backdrop of the pivotal 1993 Nigerian presidential election, the country’s first since a military takeover a decade earlier. The feature debut from director Akinola Davies Jr. plays out like a dream, partly because it is one. He co-wrote the screenplay with his brother, inspired by their own imaginings of time with their father, who died when they were kids. “My Father’s Shadow” is a meditation on the fragility of both father-son relationships and a nation on the uncertain cusp of democracy, that evokes the gentle touch of Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight.” (Screens at TIFF on Saturday. Release date to be determined.)
“Blue Heron”
Toronto-based director Sophy Romvari has worked in the world of short films for more than a decade, which explains why her first feature confidently conveys an aching sense of loss. Based loosely on her own childhood in the late 1990s, “Blue Heron” follows a Hungarian-Canadian family of six as they move into a new home on Vancouver Island, and find their hope for a new beginning upended by the erratic behaviour of their eldest son. Told through the eyes of the youngest child Sasha, Romvari’s film is steeped in aural details, such as the sound of a lawn mower’s hum and birds chirping. But it also explores the significance of visual memory and the limitations of a filmmaker trying to confront questions about their own past. It’s a visually hypnotic and deeply emotional film that positions Romvari as a major new voice in Canadian cinema. (Screens at TIFF on Friday. Plays the Vancouver film festival in October with a further release to be determined.)
“A Poet”
Very little is lovable about Oscar, a wannabe successful poet whose failed aspirations have left him a recovering alcoholic with few friends and an estranged teenage daughter. Staring headlong into middle age, he sees an opportunity to turn his life around after he meets Yurlady, an impoverished teen with notable poetic talents. He believes he can remake her in his own image — albeit a successful version. Things quickly go off the rails. Actor Ubeimar Ríos is incredible as Oscar, a truly unlikable man who still garners a thread of sympathy in Simón Mesa Soto’s fast-paced, bristlingly funny takedown of art circles. The Spanish-language film won the Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize at this year’s Cannes film festival. (Screens at TIFF on Friday and various Canadian film festivals in September and October. Release date to be determined.)
“Obsession”
What if the girl of your dreams became the monster in your nightmares? That’s the thrust of YouTube creator Curry Barker’s twisted, romantic-horror debut, which feels like a severed sixth finger from “The Monkey’s Paw.” “Teen Wolf” actor Michael Johnston plays Bear, a charmless young man who, on a whim, buys a novelty magic stick that promises to grant one wish. Doubtful of its power, he asks it to make his childhood crush fall for him, and she does. But what starts as a suspicious infatuation quickly spirals into a demonic fixation. Barker’s playful script uses familiar horror tropes alongside viciously clever twists, and “13 Reasons Why” actress Inde Navarrette gives what is somehow one of the funniest and most terrifying performances of the year. (Release date to be determined.)
“Arco”
While the first solo feature from French graphic novelist Ugo Bienvenu is being compared to the works of Studio Ghibli, it holds a much deeper sense of animation history. Set in the year 2075, the world is literally burning and humans have outsourced their parenting to androids, leaving a girl named Iris without much company. Her world changes when Arco, a 10-year-old boy, crash-lands in a nearby forest. He’s carelessly travelled from the future using his sister’s rainbow-coloured time-warp robe. Stranded and pursued by three suspicious men, Arco and Iris must work together to plot his escape back to the future. There’s a rusty charm to “Arco” that draws on the adventurous spirit of old Saturday morning cartoons and René Laloux’s 1973 trippy masterpiece “Fantastic Planet,” with shades of “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” (Screens at TIFF on Friday. Theatrical release in early 2026.)
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2025.
