The 50th annual Toronto International Film Festival was held from September 4 to 14, 2025.Jeremy Kay, "TIFF, Rogers sign three-year presenting partner deal". Screen Daily, January 21, 2025. To mark the festival's 50th anniversary, the festival programmed a special series, The TIFF Story in 50 Films, to screen through June, July and August 2025 at the TIFF Lightbox.
The first programming announcement was that Colin Hanks' documentary film John Candy: I Like Me, about the actor John Candy, would open the festival. The full program was released on August 12.
The festival courted controversy regarding its final programming decisions, specifically with respect to the inclusion, exclusion, and subsequent re-inclusion of the Israeli documentary The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue, which depicts rescue efforts during the October 7 attacks in southern Israel.
Hamnet was the winner of the festival's People's Choice Award.
Preparations Preparations for the 2025 festival included the renewal of the festival's sponsorship deal with Rogers Communications, for three years through 2027. The sponsorship deal included a television special to air on Citytv.
Organizers also discussed the possibility of moving the festival a week later than its current early September placement, in response to industry feedback that the tight scheduling of the Venice, Telluride and Toronto film festivals presents a logistical challenge for filmmakers and industry professionals in travelling to all three festivals;Jeremy Kay, "TIFF unveils market advisory committee as talks continue on location, timing of 2026 event". Screen Daily, February 14, 2025. however, moving the festival would have had a ripple effect on other Canadian film festivals, such as Cinéfest Sudbury, the Atlantic International Film Festival and the Calgary International Film Festival, which are scheduled overlapping with or very soon after TIFF, and would create some of the same logistical challenges. They ultimately decided to retain the existing schedule.Jeremy Kay, "TIFF: The Market sets 2026 dates, adds advisory board members". Screen Daily, May 16, 2025.
Awards Tribute Awards The first Tribute Award recipients were announced on July 31, including Guillermo del Toro as recipient of the director award, Hikari as recipient of the emerging talent award, Jodie Foster as recipient of the Share Her Journey groundbreaker award, and Lee Byung-hun as recipient of a special tribute award. Brendan Fraser served as honorary chair of the event.John Hazelton, "TIFF Tribute Awards for Guillermo del Toro, Jodie Foster, Hikari, Lee Byung Hun". Screen Daily, July 31, 2025.
The remainder of the Tribute Award recipients were announced on August 21, including Catherine O'Hara as recipient of the Norman Jewison Award, Nina Hoss and Channing Tatum as recipients of the Performer Award, Kazu Hiro as winner of the Variety Artisan Award, Idris Elba as recipient of the Jeff Skoll Award in Impact Media, and filmmakers Zacharias Kunuk and Jafar Panahi as recipients of Special Tribute Awards.Etan Vlessing, "Idris Elba, Channing Tatum, Catherine O’Hara Set for Tribute Awards at Toronto Film Fest". The Hollywood Reporter, August 21, 2025.
Regular awards The festival's regular awards for films, including the People's Choice Award, were announced at the conclusion of the festival.Pete Hammond, "‘Hamnet’ Wins Oscar-Predictive Toronto Film Festival People’s Choice Award". Deadline Hollywood, September 14, 2025.
At Cannes, the festival announced plans to introduce a new International People's Choice award, to be presented to the most popular film from outside North America along the same model as the existing People's Choice Award.Barry Hertz, "On the beaches of Cannes, TIFF maps outs its ambitious future: The Toronto International Film Festival talked up its 50th anniversary and its coming content marketplace". The Globe and Mail, May 28, 2025. A new juried award was also introduced for Best Animated Short Film, separately from the existing awards for Canadian and international short films.Melanie Goodfellow, "Idris Elba’s ‘Dust To Dreams’ Starring Seal Set To Premiere In TIFF Shorts + Full Lineup". Deadline Hollywood, August 7, 2025.
Award Film Director People's Choice Award Hamnet Chloé Zhao People's Choice Award, First Runner Up Frankenstein Guillermo del Toro People's Choice Award, Second Runner Up Wake Up Dead Man Rian Johnson International People's Choice Award No Other Choice Park Chan-wook International People's Choice Award, First Runner Up Sentimental Value Joachim Trier International People's Choice Award, Second Runner Up Homebound Neeraj Ghaywan People's Choice Award: Documentaries The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue Barry Avrich Documentary, First Runner Up EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert Baz Luhrmann Documentary, Second Runner Up You Had To Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, and Created a Community That Changed the World (In a Canadian Kind of Way) Nick Davis People's Choice Award: Midnight Madness Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie Matt Johnson Midnight Madness, First Runner Up Obsession Curry Barker Midnight Madness, Second Runner Up The Furious Kenji Tanigaki Platform Prize To the Victory! Valentyn Vasyanovych Platform Prize, Honorable Mention Hen (Kota) György Pálfi Best Canadian Feature Film Wrong Husband (Uiksaringitara) Zacharias Kunuk Best Canadian Feature Film, Honorable Mention There Are No Words Min Sook Lee Best Canadian Discovery Blue Heron Sophy Romvari Best Canadian Discovery, Honorable Mention 100 Sunset Kunsang Kyirong Best Animated Short Film To the Woods (Une fugue) Agnès Patron Best Canadian Short Film The Girl Who Cried Pearls (La jeune fille qui pleurait des perles) Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski Best Canadian Short Film, Honorable Mention A Soft Touch Heather Young Best International Short Film Talk Me Joecar Hanna Best International Short Film, Honorable Mention Agapito Arvin Belarmino, Kyla Danelle Romero Vimeo Staff Pick I Fear Blue Skies Salar Pashtoonyar FIPRESCI Award Forastera Lucía Aleñar Iglesias NETPAC Award In Search of the Sky (Vimukt) Jitank Singh Gurjar
Program
Gala Presentations Some gala presentations were announced on July 16.Rebecca Rubin, "‘Knives Out 3,’ Chloe Zhao's ‘Hamnet,’ Channing Tatum's ‘Roofman’ Among TIFF Premieres Added to Lineup". Variety, July 16, 2025. A more complete Gala lineup was announced on July 21,Anthony D'Alessandro, "TIFF Galas & Presentations: World Premieres ‘Good Fortune’, ‘Nuremberg’, Sydney Sweeney Pic ‘Christy’, Angelina Jolie ‘Couture’; North American Debuts Guillermo del Toro's ‘Frankenstein’, Dwayne Johnson ‘Smashing Machine’". Deadline Hollywood, July 21, 2025. with one additional gala added on August 12.Jeremy Kay, "Claire Denis’ ‘The Fence’, Pablo Trapero’s English-language debut ‘& Sons’ get Toronto world premieres". Screen Daily, August 12, 2025.
English title Original title Director(s) Production country Adulthood Alex Winter United States The Choral Nicholas Hytner United Kingdom Driver's Ed Bobby Farrelly United States Eleanor the Great Scarlett Johansson United States Eternity David Freyne United States Fuze David Mackenzie United Kingdom Glenrothan Brian Cox United Kingdom Good Fortune Aziz Ansari United States Hamnet Chloé Zhao United Kingdom, United States Homebound Neeraj Ghaywan India John Candy: I Like Me Colin Hanks United States Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery Ally Pankiw Canada No Other Choice 어쩔수가없다 Park Chan-wook South Korea Nuremberg James Vanderbilt United States Palestine 36 Annemarie Jacir Palestine, United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan Peak Everything Amour Apocalypse Anne Émond Canada A Private Life Vie Privée Rebecca Zlotowski France Roofman Derek Cianfrance United States She's Got No Name 酱园弄·悬案 Peter Chan China, Hong Kong Sholay (1975) Ramesh Sippy India Swiped Rachel Lee Goldenberg United States Two Pianos Deux Pianos Arnaud Desplechin France
Special Presentations The first five titles in the Special Presentations program were announced on June 26, 2025.John Hazelton, "Toronto film festival first wave includes Steven Soderbergh's ‘The Christophers’, Nia DaCosta's ‘Hedda’". Screen Daily, June 26, 2025. Several more titles were announced on July 16, with a more complete lineup announced on July 21. Five further titles were announced on August 12.
English title Original title Director(s) Production country & Sons Pablo Trapero United Kingdom, Canada Bad Apples Jonatan Etzler United Kingdom, United States Ballad of a Small Player Edward Berger United Kingdom California Schemin' James McAvoy United Kingdom Calle Malaga Maryam Touzani Morocco, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium The Captive El cautivo Alejandro Amenábar Spain, Italy Charlie Harper Tom Dean, Mac Eldridge United States Christy David Michôd United States Couture Alice Winocour United States, France The Christophers Steven Soderbergh United States Dead Man's Wire Gus Van Sant United States Degrassi: Whatever It Takes Lisa Rideout Canada Dog 51 Chien 51 Cédric Jimenez France Easy's Waltz Nic Pizzolatto United States EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert Baz Luhrmann Australia, United States Eternal Return Yaniv Raz United Kingdom, United States The Fence Claire Denis France Frankenstein Guillermo del Toro United States Franz Agnieszka Holland Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, France, Turkey Good News 굿뉴스 Byun Sung-hyun South Korea Hedda Nia DaCosta United States If I Had Legs I'd Kick You Mary Bronstein United States It Was Just an Accident یک تصادف ساده Jafar Panahi Iran, France, Luxembourg It Would Be Night in Caracas La Hija de la Española Mariana Rondón, Marité Ugás Mexico Kokuho 国宝 Lee Sang-il Japan Ky Nam Inn Quán Kỳ Nam Leon Le Vietnam The Lost Bus Paul Greengrass United States Lovely Day Mille secrets mille dangers Philippe Falardeau Canada Meadowlarks Tasha Hubbard Canada Mile End Kicks Chandler Levack Canada Monkey in a Cage Bandar Anurag Kashyap India Nouvelle Vague Richard Linklater France A Pale View of Hills Kei Ishikawa United Kingdom, Japan, Poland A Poet Un poeta Simón Mesa Soto Colombia Poetic License Maude Apatow United States Primavera Damiano Michieletto Italy, France Project Y 프로젝트 Y Lee Hwan South Korea Rental Family Hikari United States Rose of Nevada Mark Jenkin United Kingdom Sacrifice Romain Gavras United Kingdom, Greece Scarlet 果てしなきスカーレット Mamoru Hosoda Japan The Secret Agent O Agente Secreto Kleber Mendonça Filho Brazil, France, Netherlands, Germany Sentimental Value Affeksjonsverdi Joachim Trier Norway, France, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, United Kingdom Silent Friend Stille Freundin Ildikó Enyedi Germany, France, Hungary Sirāt Oliver Laxe France, Spain The Smashing Machine Benny Safdie United States Sound of Falling In Die Sonne Schauen Mascha Schilinski Germany Steal Away Clement Virgo Canada, Belgium The Testament of Ann Lee Mona Fastvold United Kingdom Three Goodbyes Tre Ciotole Isabel Coixet Italy, Spain Train Dreams Clint Bentley United States Tuner Daniel Roher United States The Ugly 얼굴 Yeon Sang-ho South Korea The Voice of Hind Rajab Kaouther Ben Hania Tunisia, France Wake Up Dead Man Rian Johnson United States The Wizard of the Kremlin Le Mage du Kremlin Olivier Assayas France Wrong Husband Uiksaringitara Zacharias Kunuk Canada You Had To Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, and Created a Community That Changed the World (In a Canadian Kind of Way) Nick Davis United States
Centrepiece Titles in Centrepiece were announced on August 5.