Spotlight on TIFF 2025
TIFF turns 50 and the stars are aligning as they are ready to set the tone for awards season.
Summer Madness | Angela Bassett (Day 31)
From her Oscar-nominated turn as Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do with It to cultural touchstones like Waiting to Exhale, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and Black Panther, Bassett has embodied resilience and brilliance for more than three decades.
Summer Madness | Forest Whitaker (Day 30)
Transformative. Empathetic. Unforgettable. From his haunting performance as jazz great Charlie Parker in Bird to his Oscar-winning turn as Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland, Forest Whitaker has built a career defined by immersion, humanity, and gravitas.
Summer Madness | Rosalind Cash (Day 29)
Fierce. Bold. Uncompromising. From The Omega Man to Cornbread, Earl and Me, Rosalind Cash brought truth and fire to every performance.
Summer Madness | Tessa Thompson (Day 28)
From her breakout in Dear White People to her commanding presence in Creed, Thor: Ragnarok, and Passing, Thompson brings intelligence, depth, and unapologetic boldness to every role.
Reel Reviews | Katrina: Come Hell and High Water
Serving as a bookend to When the Levees Broke, Lee captures survivor stories while examining resilience, inequities, and the cultural endurance of New Orleans.
Summer Madness | Calvin Lockhart (Day 27)
From Cotton Comes to Harlem to Uptown Saturday Night, Lockhart exuded confidence and charisma, breaking barriers during the 1970s and leaving behind a legacy that made him a true icon of cool.
Reel Reviews | Caught Stealing
Austin Butler leads Darren Aronofsky’s gritty crime thriller Caught Stealing, where a washed-up baseball phenom turned New York bartender gets pulled into a violent spiral after agreeing to do one simple favor for his neighbor.