This 12 months’s Toronto Worldwide Movie Competition Discovery lineup is getting off to a secretive begin, because the part, devoted to new work from first- and second-time filmmakers, will open with John Early’s shock characteristic directorial debut “Maddie’s Secret.”
Billed by TIFF in at present’s announcement “as an unmissable directorial debut satirizing and skewering content material tradition from iconic alt-comedian John Early,” the filmmaker stars within the movie alongside long-time compatriot Kate Berlant, Vanessa Bayer, Eric Rahill, Claudia O’Doherty, Chris Bauer, Kristen Johnston, and Conner O’Malley.
The Discovery program has championed a variety of main names over time, equivalent to Ildikó Enyedi, Alfonso Cuarón, Julie Sprint, Jean-Marc Vallée, Christopher Nolan, Maren Ade, Yorgos Lanthimos, Barry Jenkins, Dea Kulumbegashvili, Emma Seligman, and Class Bratton.
The 2025 Discovery choice was programmed by Dorota Lech, Jason Anderson, Kelly Boutsalis, Diana Cadavid, Robyn Citizen, June Kim, and Jason Ryle. The lineup contains 23 World Premiere titles, spanning 30+ nations, together with Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey.
Over the previous few weeks, TIFF has rolled out some early picks for its choice, together with Colin Hanks’ opening evening documentary “John Sweet: I Like Me,” plus new movies from Steven Soderbergh, Nia DaCosta, Chandler Levack, Alejandro Amenábar, and Sung-hyun Byun, the addition of 11 starry titles within the Gala and Particular Shows program simply final week (plus that full lineup), and yesterday’s launch of the Platform jury and lineup.
2025 Discovery Program (in alphabetical order):
“100 Sundown” | Kunsang Kyirong | Canada | World Premiere
“Amoeba” | Siyou Tan | Singapore/Netherlands/France/Spain/South Korea | World Premiere
“As We Breathe” | Şeyhmus Altun | Turkey/Denmark | World Premiere
“Babystar” | Joscha Bongard | Germany | World Premiere
“Bayaan” | Bikas Ranjan Mishra | India | World Premiere
“Dinner with Pals” | Sasha Leigh Henry | Canada | World Premiere
“Egghead Republic” | Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja | Sweden | World Premiere
“Forastera” | Lucía Aleñar Iglesias | Spain/Italy/Sweden | World Premiere
“Ghost College” | Seemab Gul | Pakistan | World Premiere
“Julian” | Cato Kusters | Belgium/Netherlands | World Premiere
“Laundry” | Zamo Mkhwanazi | Switzerland/South Africa | World Premiere
“Little Lorraine” | Andy Hines | Canada | World Premiere
“Maddie’s Secret” | John Early | USA | World Premiere
“Mārama | Taratoa Stappard | New Zealand | World Premiere
“Nika & Madison” | Eva Thomas | Canada | World Premiere
“Noviembre” | Tomás Corredor | Colombia/Mexico/Brazil/Norway | World Premiere
“Oca” | Karla Badillo | Mexico/Argentina | World Premiere
“Our Father” | Goran Stankovic | Serbia/Italy/Croatia/North Macedonia/Montenegro/Bosnia and Herzegovina | World Premiere
“Out Standing” | Mélanie Charbonneau | Canada | World Premiere
“Retreat” | Ted Evans | United Kingdom | World Premiere
“Sink” | Zain Duraie | Jordan/Saudi Arabia/Qatar/France | World Premiere
“The Man in My Basement” | Nadia Latif | United Kingdom/USA | World Premiere
“The Son and the Sea” | Stroma Cairns | United Kingdom | World Premiere
This 12 months’s official screening venues will as soon as once more embrace TIFF Lightbox, Roy Thomson Corridor, the Visa Screening Room on the Princess of Wales Theatre, Cineplex’s Scotiabank Theatre Toronto, Glenn Gould Studio on the Canadian Broadcast Centre, Cinema Park at David Pecaut Sq., and the Royal Alexandra Theatre. The seventh version of the TIFF Tribute Awards Gala will happen on Sunday, September 7, 2025, at Fairmont Royal York Lodge.
On the final day of the pageant, TIFF declares the winners of its varied awards. Alongside the favored Individuals’s Alternative Awards, offered by Rogers, this September introduces the brand-new Worldwide Individuals’s Alternative Award. Additionally returning are the esteemed Jury Prizes together with the Platform Award, now celebrating its tenth 12 months, and honors from FIPRESCI and NETPAC.
The fiftieth version of the Toronto Worldwide Movie Competition, offered by Rogers, runs September 4–14, 2025. Extra pageant particulars might be shared within the coming weeks, with this week set to play house to some main different bulletins.