TIFF 2025: Toronto International Film Festival rolls out the red carpet on first day

About 10,000 people are expected at the immersive gallery experience in Yorkville every day and traffic is expected to spill onto other roads in the area, Toronto police said in a news release.

The festival’s opening weekend will also mean downtown road closures from 1 a.m. Sept. 4 to 5 a.m. Sept. 8. They include a shut down on John Street between Wellington Street West and Pearl Street; Simcoe Street will close between Wellington Street West and Pearl Street; Widmer Street and Emily Street at King Street West; and Mercer Street at John Street, according to the city.

TTC service will also be affected. From 5 a.m. Sept. 4 to 5 a.m. Sept. 8 — and then again in the afternoons and evenings Sept. 8-9 — the 504A/304 King and 508 Lake Shore streetcars will divert their eastbound routes from King Street West to go north on Spadina Avenue, east on Queen Street West, south on York Street, east on Adelaide Street and south on Church Street before resuming regular routes east on King.

Those routes will also redirect going west from King Street West to head north on York Street, west on Queen Street West and south on Spadina Avenue before going back to their normal paths. 

The festival will also push the 504B King streetcars to run between Broadview Station and Church Street.

The 503 Kingston Road replacement bus move west on King Street West, north on University Avenue, west on Richmond Street West, south on Spadina Avenue. Eastbound 503 replacement buses will run from King Street West north on Spadina Avenue, east on Adelaide Street West, and south on University Avenue. 

There will also be no stops between Spadina and University avenues on King Street East because of TIFF events. 

Despite a return to normal service on Wednesday, the TTC warns that drivers and riders should expect some delays during red carpet premieres from Sept. 10 to 13.

That latter is a hot ticket as the drama-writing, directing and producing debut of Toronto-born comedian Mae Martin. 

A couple of other shows — “Black Rabbit” and “The Lowdown” — also feature the kind of A-list talent that will “get people off of that couch and into a cinema to see a series,” as Primetime programmer Geoff Macnaughton said when we spoke last year.

But it doesn’t take a big-name cast or creator to make a series worthy. 

Macnaughton said in an email that the shows screening this year, chosen from just under 100 submissions, represent more countries than ever before and all stood out to him for different reasons.

“For instance, ‘The Lowdown’ stood out to me as Sterlin Harjo’s much anticipated followup to ‘Reservation Dogs.’ It completely exceeds expectations with an incredible lead performance by Ethan Hawke. A series like ‘Portobello’ stood out to me as a series from Italian master Marco Bellocchio about the true story of popular Italian TV host Enzo Tortora and his ‘connection’ to organized crime.”

The one downside is that it sometimes takes months, even years, for shows seen at TIFF to reach the small screen in Canada.

(Last year’s “Mussolini: Son of the Century” comes to MUBI on Sept. 10, while “Bad Boy” from 2023 just hit Netflix in May.)

Nonetheless, here’s a look at the TV shows coming to the festival, including screening — and streaming — dates, where applicable.

“Black Rabbit” (U.S.)

“The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry,” the saying goes, which certainly applies to Jake Friedken (Jude Law) in this drama. Jake is on the cusp of greatness in the competitive New York restaurant scene with the Black Rabbit when his brother and co-founder, Vince (Jason Bateman), comes back to town. In debt, and with a serious gambling addiction, Vince’s penchant for attracting chaos threatens everything Jake has built. Bateman, an Emmy winner for “Ozark,” also directs two episodes. Screens at TIFF Sept. 7, 3:30 p.m., and Sept. 8, 9:30 p.m.; on Netflix Sept. 18

“Gandhi” (India)

This is the only Primetime entry I didn’t get to preview. According to TIFF, it’s about revered civil rights champion Mahatma Gandhi when he was just Mohandas Gandhi, a young Indian man with a wife and a child on the way, hoping to study law in London. It’s based on the books “Gandhi Before India” and “Gandhi: The Years That Changed the World.” Screens at TIFF Sept 6, 11 a.m., and Sept. 13, 4:45 p.m.

“The Lowdown” (U.S.)

Ethan Hawke is the rakish, uncompromising Lee Raybon in this comedic drama from Sterlin Harjo, co-creator of “Reservation Dogs,” described by TIFF as an ode to film noir. Lee is a self-styled “truthstorian,” relentless in his investigative journalism no matter how uncomfortable it makes the Tulsa elites he pursues or how much danger it puts him in. Screens at TIFF Sept. 4, 9:30 p.m., and Sept. 6, 7 p.m.; on Disney Plus Sept. 23

“Origin: The Story of the Basketball Africa League” (Rwanda, U.K., U.S.)

This docuseries is nothing less than the tale of a seemingly impossible dream become reality: the creation of a league of 12 basketball teams representing 12 diverse nations on the African continent. Featuring interviews with heavy hitters like BAL president Amadou Gallo Fall, former Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri and former U.S. president Barack Obama, the series elucidates the transformative power of sport as well as the peoples and cultures of a continent little understood by North Americans. Screens at TIFF Sept. 8, 2:30 p.m.; Sept. 9, 6:45 p.m., and Sept. 14, 4:30 p.m.

“Portobello” (Italy, France)

Italian organized crime meets show business in this truth-is-stranger-than-fiction period drama about a TV host falsely accused of being part of a Neapolitan crime syndicate in the early 1980s. Enzo Tortora (Fabrizio Gifuni) was host of the wildly popular game/variety show “Portobello” when Giovanni Pandico (Lino Musella), a low-level member of the Nuova Camorra Organizzata with a petty grudge against Tortora, named him as part of a drug ring, setting off a years-long legal battle. Marco Bellocchio, one of this year’s TIFF luminaries, wrote and directed. Screening at TIFF Sept. 11, 9:30 p.m., and Sept. 12, 3:25 p.m.

“Reunion” (U.K.)

Daniel (Matthew Gurney), a deaf man released from prison after doing his time for the murder of a good friend, sets off on a mysterious quest for revenge involving a school reunion. At the same time, he refuses to explain the killing to anyone, even his now-adult daughter, Carly (Lara Peake). Meanwhile, the victim’s widow (Ann-Marie Duff, “Bad Sisters”) is desperate to speak to Daniel and ask him why he did it. The series, created by William Mager and produced by the team behind likely Emmy winner “Adolescence,” also stars Eddie Marsan (“Ray Donovan”) and Rose Ayling-Ellis (“EastEnders”). Screening at TIFF Sept. 5, 9:30 p.m., and Sept. 14, 12:30 p.m.

“Rise of the Raven” (Hungary, Austria, Germany)

This historical epic concerns the real-life battles between the Hungarians and the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century, dramatized for TV with muscular warriors, plucky heroines, wily royals, scheming courtiers and the like. The cast — led by Hungarian-Romanian actor Gellért L. Kádár as real-life hero János Hunyadi — speaks Hungarian, Czech, German, Italian and Turkish. The series has a Canadian connection in executive producer Robert Lantos. Screening at TIFF Sept. 8, 8:45 p.m., and Sept. 11, 3 p.m.

“A Sámi Wedding” (Norway)

In this comedy-drama set in Kautokeino in northern Norway, Garen (Sara Margrethe Oskal), the middle-aged matriarch of a lower-income family, is determined to pull off a huge traditional wedding in just a month when her only son becomes engaged to the daughter of a wealthy reindeer-herding clan. Nothing will deter Garen, whether it’s stresses to her health, the scorn of her neighbours or the disapproval of her fractious younger siblings. Screening at TIFF Sept. 8, 3:10 p.m., and Sept. 9, 9 p.m.

“The Savage” (Iran)

In this drama from Iranian actor, writer and director Houman Seyyedi, mine worker Davood (Javad Ezati) is a seemingly good son, friend and co-worker whose well-meaning decision to help two children walking along a dangerous road results in a tragedy that makes him a wanted man. The series is inspired by the true story of Ali Ashraf Parvaneh, an Iranian prisoner and escapee. Screening at TIFF Sept. 12, 9:15 p.m., and Sept. 13, 7:45 p.m.

“Wayward” (Canada)

Creator Mae Martin mined their own experiences as a troubled teen and those of a friend sent to a reform school for this drama about two Toronto adolescents who end up at a sinister institution in the fictional town of Tall Pines, Vermont. After police officer Alex Dempsey (Martin) moves to town with their pregnant wife (Sarah Gadon) and encounters a runaway from the Tall Pines Academy, he begins to suspect there’s something not quite right about the school and its leader, Evelyn Wade (Toni Collette). Screening at TIFF Sept. 9, 9 p.m., and Sept. 11, 9:45 p.m.; on Netflix Sept. 25

It was an almost perfect replica of the Wagon Queen Family Truckster, the iconic fictional automobile from the 1983 film “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” complete with Ontario license plate reading “C GRSWLD.”

I knew in that moment that it was a cosmic greeting from my dad — a nod, a simple thank you to his family for helping him finish his story.

A typical interview conducted by the film’s director, Colin Hanks, lasted a few hours. I would sit huddled with my notebook and listen, jotting down the phrases coming from my dad’s closest family, friends and colleagues, including Dave Thomas, Robin Duke, Catherine O’Hara and Martin Short.

“Elephant’s memory,” “anxiety attack” and “didn’t suffer fools” are just a few of the notes I scribbled in my pages.

My dad has been gone for over 30 years, gone from my life in physical form, yet during this process it hit me that we have so much in common. I found myself relating to many traits and quirks of his, some of which I was hearing about for the first time. His old high school friend Terry Enright explained that my dad would always be late to things: “We called him ‘No Show,’” he said with a big grin.

If you were to interview my best friends, they would say, “Chris is and always has been 20 minutes late to everything” — they call it “Candy time.” This is not something I’m proud of, but knowing we have this in common makes me feel closer to my dad, a kinship.

I found out that my dad was shy in high school — so was I! He was also stubborn, just like me. Most poignant was something I already knew, but this time it hit a little harder: He lost his dad when he was five; I lost mine when I was eight.

I was in the third grade. My school’s talent show had taken place the week before; I’d performed the Weird Al Yankovic song “Traffic Jam,” and the cardboard cut-outs of cars that my mom and I had made for it were still leaned up against the classroom wall. (My dad couldn’t make it; he was on location in Durango, Mexico.)

When Father Donie pulled me out of class that day, I thought he was going to compliment me on my performance! He was an artist after all, and a friend of my mom’s.

He walked with me and my sister down to the rectory. We saw our dad’s assistant, Bob Crane, sobbing. We turned the corner into the priest’s office, and my mom was there. She told us that our dad had died.

This documentary cracks open my dad’s childhood and the trauma of losing his father at such an early age. It tells the story of how it thrust him into early adulthood, how he dealt with it, how he organized his pain and how that pain presented in his body and mind. How he took care of everyone else before he would take care of himself.

During production in Toronto, we traced his footsteps, visiting the movie theatres he frequented and the places he called home. I have always felt his energy when I walk the streets of this city.

Every time I’m near the SkyDome, now Rogers Centre, I think of how my father walked the field during his time as the Argonauts’ owner, feeling the joy of success and accomplishment. His nickname was Johnny Toronto, and he truly lived up to it.

As the movie took shape, I watched my dad’s life being reconstructed before my eyes. It was a strange, unique experience that taught me there is not only a genetic inheritance from our parents but a psychological one as well, and that to grow in this lifetime is a process with no end.

In my dad’s absence, I had always longed for his guidance; in a way, I felt I was granted my wish.

When I watched the final cut of the film, I realized that the title “I Like Me” was the perfect fit. Not only is it a line of dialogue from the genius mind of my dad’s best friend, John Hughes (a man I also miss dearly), but it’s a true statement.

John Candy liked himself. His friends liked him, his family liked him — he was the real article. What you saw was what we got.

The film will be available to stream everywhere on Prime Video on Oct. 10, but first it will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, on opening night. I see it as the swan song my dad deserves — one last big and beautiful movie starring John Candy.

The following month, we played the show, our first-ever gig. Forty-five years later, here we are.

Back in 1980, the Rheostatics had no records to our name, but after 14 years, we’d made a bunch. In 1994, a film for which we’d recorded the original music — Richard J. Lewis’s Whale Music, with a screenplay by Paul Quarrington, who’d based it on his own novel — was TIFF’s opening-night movie, screened at the grand Uptown Theatre, on Yonge Street. It was a high-water mark for us, partly because of the creative freedom of the job — we composed music for the film’s main character, Desmond Howl, before shooting started, as a lot of the scenes were about him inventing the work — and partly because we felt as if we’d entered an elevated world. We moved among Norman Jewison, Martha Burns, Saul Rubinek, Maury Chaykin, Patricia Rozema, Atom Egoyan and other artists who’d made an enormous mark on their country.

There we were, throwing down canapes and flutes of bubbly during the opening-night party at the ROM, when someone put on our varied-tempo music. I remember looking up at two hired dancers who’d been swivelling on faux-ancient plinths to party music. One turned to the other and mouthed the words: “I … can’t … dance … to … this.” Still, at the screening, producer Robert Lantos introduced us out of the crowd, and we felt like a big deal. One of the gifts of TIFF is that it occasionally lets working artists feel a part of the brilliant swim, and that’s how it was for us.

Six Septembers later, we were sitting in Paul Quarrington’s backyard in Riverdale with the Irish writer Roddy Doyle, whom I’d gotten to know through his wife, Belinda Moller, who, in 1988, handed me a novel her then-boyfriend had written — The Commitments — and said, “It’s about music; you might like it.” Roddy was at TIFF, screening a film he’d written called When Brendan Met Trudy. That June, my wife and I had had our first child, and we dared to bring her to the screening, but she stayed quiet and mostly slept, and, as new parents, we got to have a day out at the movies. It was our first festival as a family.

Next week, we’ll return to TIFF together with our daughter. Twenty-five years after slumbering through Roddy’s film (he didn’t take it personally), she will celebrate her work with the rest of the crew of Tuner, Daniel Roher’s dramatic feature, which screens Monday afternoon. Our life, her life, the festival’s life — each has been framed by what is, despite TIFF’s preoccupation with celebrity, the festival’s true charm: its ability to sunny up the lives of movie lovers, artists and families in a city that needs its cultural signposts.

That’s why it’s worth remembering that TIFF isn’t just about the films. It’s about the people who made them, and the people who made those people, and what a gift it is that we can all watch together.

When is TIFF and where does it take place?

This year’s festival takes place between Sept. 4 and 14. 

Most screenings and events happen at the TIFF Lightbox and Festival Tower, located on the northwest corner of King Street West and John Street. Other TIFF venues include Roy Thomson Hall, the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, Cineplex’s Scotiabank Theatre, Glenn Gould Studio at the Canadian Broadcast Centre and the Royal Alexandra Theatre. All six venues are located in downtown Toronto.

How do you get TIFF tickets?

Purchasing tickets for the festival can feel like a bit of a maze, but TIFF’s website has a helpful Q&A section and a handy YouTube video for those having trouble navigating the process.

Non-members can purchase single tickets or curated packages at Ticketmaster.ca. TIFF members and contributors can also purchase individual tickets or bundles through their TIFF Festival Accounts.

You can find all the details for individual films at TIFF.net. 

What are the most anticipated films at TIFF this year?

This year’s festival boasts an eclectic program of more than 200 feature films, dozens of shorts and 10 television series.

Film critic Peter Howell has listed his 10 most anticipated films here. Among them are Guillermo del Toro‘s adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic “Frankenstein,” Chloé Zhao’s drama about Shakespeare, titled “Hamnet,” and a time-travelling movie thriller from Canadian directors Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol titled “Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie.”

TIFF will open with “John Candy: I Like Me,” a documentary about the Canadian comedy legend John Candy directed by Colin Hanks and produced by Ryan Reynolds. The festival’s closing night gala will be Canadian director Anne Émond’s “Peak Everything.”

Other anticipated flicks include Aziz Ansari’s “Good Fortune” — starring Keanu Reeves, Seth Rogen and Sandra Oh — Rian Johnson’s third “Knives Out” film, James Vanderbilt’s “Nuremberg” and Annemarie Jacir’s “Palestine 36.”

The full festival lineup, which can be viewed here, also includes new films from Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh (“The Christophers”), Spanish director Alejandro Amenábar (“The Captive”), South Korean director Sung-hyun Byun (“Good News”), American director Nia DaCosta (“Hedda”) and Canada’s own Chandler Levack (“Mile End Kicks”).

What’s the best place to go celebrity spotting?

If you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of some of the A-list talent, your best bet is to purchase tickets to a TIFF “Fan Zone,” where you can watch celebs walk the red carpet from one of the controlled access areas at the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, the Royal Alexandra Theatre or Roy Thomson Hall. There are five additional “Fan Zones” at David Pecaut Square. Tickets are available on Sept. 3 via Ticketmaster.

But you can also try your luck at one of these six restaurants in downtown Toronto, where celebs are known to visit between TIFF screenings or cocktails after press events.

TIFF’s 50th anniversary

Last week, the Star published City of Stars, a special package that celebrates five decades of cinematic magic, glamour and unforgettable moments at TIFF. What started as the Festival of Festivals in 1976 has since blossomed into a global powerhouse. 

And to mark a half-century of TIFF, the Star dug into the archives to find 50 highlights (and lowlights) from the festival’s storied history, with one entry for each year.

We also spoke to movie critic Glenn Kenny about his recollections of attending TIFF on Sept. 11, 2001.

More TIFF content

More than 50,000 people have volunteered at TIFF and that’s just over the past 15 years. (That equals 1.2 million hours!) These movie buffs brave wild crowds, busy screenings and screaming fans to make our fantastic film festival happen. The Star spoke to three veteran volunteers who shared what makes TIFF special — and what brings them back, year after year.

Frankenstein

Honorary Torontonian Guillermo del Toro doesn’t just love monsters, he adores them. They’re like his children. Which makes it entirely logical why the Mexican auteur would want to do his own version of Mary Shelley’s classic “Frankenstein” story, filming it in Toronto as he did his Oscar-winning “The Shape of Water.” As per Shelley’s prose, the stitched-together man of the misunderstood title, played here by Jacob Elordi, elicits more sympathy than his driven creator Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac), a brilliant but egotistical scientist. Victor arrogantly fashions a flesh-and-blood humanoid from assembled corpses, only to recoil at his own diabolical handiwork. The creature seeks love and understanding but is met with fear and rejection, leading to tragedy for both creator and created as their fates intertwine in a gothic tale of ambition, alienation and the search for belonging.

Hamnet

Heading to TIFF garlanded with critical hosannahs and buckets of tears from its emotional Telluride festival premiere, Chloé Zhao’s Shakespearean extrapolation looks to be an exquisitely rendered and heartfelt adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s celebrated novel. Paul Mescal reportedly brings a brooding intensity to William Shakespeare, while Jessie Buckley anchors the film’s emotional core as the Bard’s wife, Agnes. Zhao traces the couple’s courtship and the raw grief that follows the 1596 death of their 11-year-old son, Hamnet. Art and anguish become inseparable in a film that suggests that Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” springs less from Danish legend and more from an English father’s unfathomable sorrow.

It Was Just an Accident

Only Jafar Panahi could turn a roadside collision into both a moral crucible and an act of political defiance. The brilliant Iranian filmmaker uses a minor mishap to spark searing debates on culpability, vengeance and the elusive human capacity for grace, as torture victims confront the man they accuse of tormenting them. The Palme d’Or-winning drama is bracing on its own, but what makes it unforgettable is the risk behind the camera. Panahi shot the film in secret while under house arrest, banned from filmmaking by a regime determined to silence him. Every frame carries the urgency of resistance, drawn from his own ordeals and smuggled to the screen with the courage of someone who refuses to stop speaking. It’s cinema not just as storytelling, but as survival.

Mile End Kicks

Chandler Levack follows her appealing 2022 directorial debut, “I Like Movies,” with further evidence of her knack for humanizing outsiders, square pegs and loners. The action shifts from Ontario to Quebec, specifically an artsy Montreal neighbourhood where lo-fi rock, poetry readings and unpaid rent are de rigueur. Barbie Ferreira (“Euphoria”) plays Grace, an ambitious but unsure 22-year-old music critic who arrives from Toronto with plans to write a book about Alanis Morissette’s confessional “Jagged Little Pill” album, which she’s convinced changed her life. Grace’s authorial aspirations are interrupted by the awkwardly competing attentions of the singer (Stanley Simons) and lead guitarist (Devon Bostick) of an indie band called Bone Patrol. Levack nails the look and feel of the place and the shared sensation of “feeling weird and awkward all the time,” as a character aptly puts it.

Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie

Matt Johnson (“BlackBerry”) and Jay McCarrol’s cult web series (and later TV show), about two doofus bandmates desperate to land a gig at Toronto’s Rivoli club, becomes a time-travelling movie thriller about friendship, ambition and outrageous copyright violations. As amusing as the film is for the way it brazenly Toronto-izes the plot of “Back to the Future” (plus a bit of “Hot Tub Time Machine”), it’s also a marvel for its clever mix of archival footage, new material and spontaneous onlooker involvement. They’re still trying to get into the Riv, but returning to the right decade — and maintaining their friendship — become more pressing concerns after a high-flying publicity stunt becomes a leap into the unknown.

No Other Choice

The latest from acclaimed South Korean director Park Chan-wook (“Old Boy”) follows a laid-off middle manager (Lee Byung-hun of “Squid Game”) desperate to survive an imploding job market at any cost. The black comedy/thriller finds grim laughs in the absurdities of late-stage capitalism and AI, for an unnervingly resonant satire replete with stylized violence. Son Ye-jin adds emotional heft as the axed worker’s conflicted wife. Coming straight from its premiere in Venice, where it drew universal acclaim and a nine-minute standing ovation, “No Other Choice” is sure to be one of the festival’s hottest tickets.

Sentimental Value

Renate Reinsve and Elle Fanning gleam like two sides of the same coin in Joachim Trier’s knotty family drama, with emotions running sharp and deep. Stellan Skarsgård plays a famed filmmaker hoping to bridge years of absence by casting his actress daughter (Reinsve) in a film that replays their shared past. She refuses, wary of wounds too raw to expose, and the part instead goes to an American star (Fanning), who steps into a role loaded with uncanny echoes. What follows is a charged confrontation of art and memory, buoyed by magnificent performances from Reinsve and Fanning and Trier’s typically sharp sense of intimacy. 

Sirât

Oliver Laxe jolted Cannes with a road movie that feels like Henri-Georges Clouzot’s thriller “The Wages of Fear” (and William Friedkin’s masterful remake “Sorcerer”) reimagined for the end of days. The combustible cargo here isn’t dynamite but grief, carried across the Moroccan desert by Sergi López as Luis, a father staggering through loss while clinging to hope of finding his missing daughter. He travels with his young son and a caravan of free-spirited hitchhikers, their existential poetry colliding with the film’s looming dread. López gives a performance of quiet magnetism, at once hardened and vulnerable, as Laxe steers the story into zones of apocalyptic energy, spiritual yearning and hair-raising narrative swerves. It’s a desert odyssey buzzing with tension, vision and the strange euphoria of despair.

Train Dreams

Clint Bentley, fresh off co-writing the Oscar-nominated “Sing Sing,” delivers a bold, ravishing take on Denis Johnson’s 2011 novella. It opens as a classic Western before deepening into myth. The film breathes tragedy and awe, summoning the hard truths and aching beauty of Thomas Hardy. Joel Edgerton embodies the battered soul of an ordinary man, stalled between wilderness and encroaching civilization, his world shifting faster than he can grasp. Supporting characters played by Felicity Jones, Kerry Condon, William H. Macy and Nathaniel Arcand add rich textures to this haunting survival saga of loss and the vanishing frontier.

Uiksaringitara (Wrong Husband)

Celestial beings appear in a puff of smoke, their intentions unclear. A seaweed-draped troll hides beneath the water’s edge, seeking victims. An evil shaman commits murder in a dream, setting in motion a battle with destiny. The Far North folklore is vivid and often terrifying in this new drama by Inuk auteur Zacharias Kunuk (“Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner”), but the biggest jolt to the senses comes from the beating hearts of two humans, betrothed lovers Sapa (Haiden Angutimarik) and Kaujak (Theresia Kappianaq). Separated by fate and custom, they’ll have to fight many challenges — and other suitors — if they are to remain a couple. Kunuk’s wild storytelling is informed by tales he heard growing up, but he also wants to show how the people of the North go about their daily lives. It’s a window into another world, one blessed by nature and enriched by imagination.

Located a short walk from the TIFF Bell Lightbox, Abrielle is primed to be one of the festival’s most talked-about tables. It’s inside the Sutton Place Hotel, an official TIFF hospitality partner that’s welcomed the likes of Brad Pitt, Sylvester Stallone and Sophia Loren in past years. On Sept. 4, Abrielle will host the Toronto Life and Hello! Canada Hollywood North kickoff party, a go-to event for red carpet regulars and industry insiders. Abrielle matches the glitz with substance, serving vibrant Mediterranean plates like spiced-honey halloumi, shrimp spaghettoni and whole sea bream with sofrito, alongside a sharp wine list that highlights bottles from female winemakers and estate holders. Maybe you’ll catch Scarlett Johansson or Jacob Elordi at the next table or, at the very least, you’ll be just as starry-eyed about the food. Sutton Place Hotel, 355 King St. W. abrielle.ca

Chances of spotting a celeb: 9/10

Mimi Chinese

This Michelin-recognized hot spot on Davenport has serious TIFF star-spotting potential, thanks to both its location and reputation. Its Yorkville-adjacent setting — nearby hotels like the Four Seasons, where many VIPs stay — puts it right in the middle of the action. Mimi draws steady hype for its inventive Chinese dishes like the dramatic Four Foot Belt Noodles and the tongue-tingling Hidden Crispy Chicken. A new four-course tasting menu spotlighting regional flavours gives big names even more reason to book a table. The sleek, dimly lit dining room has the kind of moody, tucked-away vibe the TIFF crowd gravitates toward, plus it’s already proven its star pull: Kim Cattrall and Lauren Graham have both been seen dining here. 265 Davenport Rd., mimichinese.com

Chances of spotting a celebrity: 7/10

Minami

The King West sushi staple is rolling out the red carpet with several TIFF menu items, like the Golden Anniversary Sour — a cocktail made with Redbreast Irish whiskey and white miso honey. Pair it with Wagyu skewers served sizzling on a hot stone or A5 Wagyu tartare crowned with Volzhenka Osciètre caviar for a dinner as refined as the guest list. Celebs like Sarah Michelle Gellar and Cate Blanchett have already dined beneath Minami’s award-winning design elements, which include a mural by Japanese artist Hideki Kimura and an arched, backlit glazed screen that bathes the room in a cinematic glow. Perfectly perched between the TIFF Lightbox and Roy Thomson Hall, this one’s set to draw some major A-list energy. 225 King St W Suite 100, minamitoronto.com

Chances of spotting a celeb: 8/10

Portland Square

INK Entertainment’s venues are no stranger to celebrities, with stars like Andrew Garfield and Meryl Streep frequenting restaurants like Beso by Patria and Akira Back. So it’s no surprise that their new multi-level dining concept, Portland Square, which opened in late July, is drawing attention this TIFF. Jessica Chastain and Lucy Liu have already turned up at Primadonna, the kitschy fourth-floor Italian restaurant that pays homage to mobster legends and mob-wife glamour. One floor down, Honey Chinese serves nostalgic Canadian-Chinese dishes and tea-infused cocktails in a plush, softly lit room that practically begs for after-party selfies. With INK’s track record and a few big names already through the door, Portland Square is shaping up to be one of TIFF’s most-watched new openings. 600 King St. W., portlandsquareto.com

Chances of spotting a celeb: 8/10

Enigma

Enigma, Yorkville’s swish Michelin-starred dining room, has previously drawn celebs like Jeff Goldblum and Simu Liu. With star-favourite stays like the Hazelton just steps away, the odds of more VIP appearances during TIFF are high. Chef Quinton Bennett’s genre-bending seasonal menu is offered as a multi-course tasting in the glittering dining room or as fancy à la carte bites in the lounge — think barbecued capicola with quince jam or Nova Scotia lobster tempura. To toast the festival, Enigma is serving two limited-edition cocktails: The Red Carpet, a clarified milk punch inspired by red velvet cake; and the Yonge & Famous, a bubbly mix of cognac, icewine and champagne. With its Michelin cred and Yorkville buzz, expect Enigma’s guest list to rival TIFF’s biggest premieres. 23 St Thomas St., enigmayorkville.com

Chances of spotting a celeb: 9/10

Reign at the Fairmont Royal York

With a history as storied as TIFF itself, the Fairmont Royal York and its flagship restaurant, Reign, are a fitting place to celebrate the festival’s 50-year legacy. The landmark hotel remains a favourite among visiting stars — Jennifer Aniston and Leonardo DiCaprio have reportedly both made appearances here — and this year, it’s marking the milestone with a film-inspired tasting menu. At Reign, the headliner is beef tenderloin Rossini topped with seared foie gras and truffle jus, served alongside a smoky riff on a Martinez cocktail that channels old-school sophistication. For more festival fare, Library Bar is serving a Godfather-inspired cocktail paired with venison tartare and cannoli shell, while Clockwork Champagne & Cocktails is offering the Ocean Jewel, a decadent plate of tuna tartare, sea urchin and caviar. 100 Front St. W., reigntoronto.ca

Chances of spotting a celeb: 9/10

Years volunteering: 25

Wildest festival experience: Many years ago, before barricades were introduced, we had 300-plus spectators standing on Yonge Street waiting for Johnny Depp’s arrival. When he stepped out of the car and turned to wave at the crowd, they took that as a sign to come running across Yonge Street, right towards where the volunteers were positioned. I know no one was there to get my autograph that night but it was a daunting feeling to have 300 people rushing towards you.

Most special festival moment: I witnessed a TIFF volunteer wedding proposal! One of my volunteer team had met his now-wife on her first volunteer shift when he offered to show her the ropes, so when it came time to propose he asked us if he could do it in the volunteer lounge where they first met.

How volunteering at TIFF changed my life: I have made countless friendships from my years of volunteering: I’m still friends with people I met 20-plus years ago at the festival. I reconnected with a friend from elementary school who is a fellow volunteer, and I met my best friend at TIFF.

Dream festival moment: Quentin Tarantino directing a live read of “Pulp Fiction” with the cast of Ron Howard’s “Eden” from TIFF 2024.

Maurice-Pierre Joani

Years volunteering: 18

Why I love volunteering: Meeting new and returning patrons and lots of volunteers who are dedicated to come back every year is a great way to kick off the festival.

Fave celeb sighting: Bill Maher. He wanted to light up another cigarette to carry on (our conversation) and suddenly someone yelled at him in a friendly way: “Bill, get your ass inside as everyone is in now and we’re waiting for you in order to introduce your film!”

How volunteering at TIFF changed my life: TIFF opens my mind so much as it’s such an enriching human experience, given the people you meet and work with, just interacting with such ease. People talk to each other in such a friendly manner, share their thoughts and discuss the films seen that year or previous years in Toronto with their own special anecdotes.

Dream festival moment: Anytime I — with little expectations — am able to see a film that catches me by surprise: the script, the actors, the way it was filmed, the location. A film that brings much reflection and stays with you a few more days. My faves would include “Talk to Her,” “Little White Lies,” “Les Triplettes de Belleville,” “Café de Flore,” “I Killed My Mother,” “Mommy,” “Sing Sing,” “Moonlight” and “Women Talking.”

Pam Shanks

Years volunteering: 14

Wildest festival experience: The fan-zones! When a star appears, a roar from the crowd erupts, which immediately attracts the attention of anyone who happens to be on that stretch of King. People stop in their tracks to catch a glimpse and see what’s going on, causing a complete pedestrian traffic jam. It’s a burst of pandemonium but also part of what makes the festival so exciting and welcoming to the public.

Most special festival moment: The 20th anniversary of “The Big Chill.” It was surreal to wave to Kevin Kline, sitting a row behind me. The movie music played as the crowd came in and the audience cheered and whistled the first time each of the cast appeared on screen. The Q&A after was the icing on the cake!

Fave celeb sighting: Brian Cox. Someone asked him to deliver his favourite two-word line from “Succession,” which he did, with a smile.

Most inspiring moment: There’s a volunteer who gifts her volunteer film vouchers to women’s shelters.

How volunteering at TIFF changed my life: As a retiree, it’s given me a sense of purpose.

Dream festival moment: The unexpected and random moments! I once wished Colm Meaney a great festival; his “thank you” has stayed with me.

It was nothing remotely like the premiere of ‘Dead Ringers’ at TIFF’s opening night in 1988. I really was somehow insulated from the (controversy) of it. I was only thinking of how great it was that something I really loved and that had taken me 10 years to get made would suddenly open TIFF, which by that time had become a substantial entity in the world of festivals.

It was prestigious for me … and also intense. It’s not really different between then and now. Showing a film at TIFF is all-consuming at the moment it happens. It’s exciting even if the film has shown at other festivals.

Showing it in your hometown is special. And, of course, ‘Dead Ringers’ is very much a Toronto movie and ‘The Shrouds’ even more so. This is the real test: is the Toronto audience going to really appreciate that it’s Toronto or not? The TIFF screening of ‘The Shrouds’ was, for me, a better screening (than at Cannes) in terms of actual audience response because they not only got all the obvious jokes, but they got the Toronto jokes as well. That was really satisfying.”