by Tim Gordon
As the Toronto International Film Festival celebrates its 50th anniversary, it also marks a major milestone for its prestigious Platform programme, now in its tenth year.
Launched in 2015, Platform has become TIFF’s premier competitive section for bold, boundary-pushing filmmakers whose voices are poised to shape the future of cinema. This year’s edition is no exception, showcasing ten extraordinary films from 19 countries, each reflecting singular artistic vision and fearless storytelling.
The 2025 Platform lineup features an international cohort of emerging and mid-career auteurs, with films spanning from Iran to South Korea, Ukraine to Canada. These stories are urgent, deeply personal, and often politically resonant cinematic works that challenge, inspire, and offer audiences a glimpse of what’s next.
Opening Night: Steve
Director: Tim Mielants | Ireland/United Kingdom | World Premiere
Opening the Platform programme is Steve, the latest from Belgian filmmaker Tim Mielants (Small Things Like These, Peaky Blinders), starring Academy Award–winner Cillian Murphy and Tracey Ullman. A moving adaptation of Max Porter’s Shy, Steve is set at a last-chance reform school in the 1990s and explores leadership, mental health, and redemption across generations.
2025 Platform Official Selections
- Between Dreams and Hope – Farnoosh Samadi | Iran | World Premiere
A queer love story of courage and identity in rural Iran, from the acclaimed director of 180° Rule. - Bouchra – Orian Barki & Meriem Bennani | Italy/Morocco/USA | World Premiere
A groundbreaking animated feature blending art, memory, and queer family tension through a cross-cultural lens. - Hen – György Pálfi | Germany/Greece/Hungary | World Premiere
A surreal, hilarious, and heartfelt tale of motherhood—told through the eyes of a rebellious chicken. - Nino – Pauline Loquès | France | International Premiere
Starring Québécois talent Théodore Pellerin, this Paris-set film follows a young man’s quiet journey toward healing. - Sk+te’kmujue’katik (At the Place of Ghosts) – Bretten Hannam | Canada/Belgium | World Premiere
A two-spirited Indigenous horror story about trauma, sibling bonds, and spiritual reclamation. - The Currents – Milagros Mumenthaler | Switzerland/Argentina | World Premiere
A psychological drama of haunting memory and personal risk, told between Geneva and Buenos Aires. - The World of Love – Yoon Ga-eun | South Korea | World Premiere
A tender, coming-of-age reflection on adolescence, emotional disruption, and self-discovery. - To The Victory! – Valentyn Vasyanovych | Ukraine/Lithuania | World Premiere
A near-future portrait of post-war disillusionment and broken familial ties in Ukraine. - Winter of the Crow – Kasia Adamik | Poland/Luxembourg/UK | World Premiere
Based on a short story by Nobel Prize–winner Olga Tokarczuk, this political thriller follows a British professor turned fugitive in Cold War Poland.
2025 Platform Jury
To commemorate the programme’s tenth anniversary, TIFF has assembled a powerhouse Platform Jury of international creatives:
- Carlos Marqués-Marcet (Chair) – Spanish writer-director and 2024 Platform Award winner (They Will Be Dust).
- Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Academy Award–nominated actor, writer, and director (Secrets & Lies, Hard Truths).
- Chloé Robichaud – Acclaimed Québécois filmmaker (Boundaries, Two Women), a longtime TIFF alumna.
Together, the jury will award the 2025 Platform Award, which includes a $20,000 CAD cash prize and will be announced at the TIFF Awards Ceremony on Sunday, September 14.
A Decade of Discovery
Since its launch, Platform has served as a launchpad for some of the decade’s most acclaimed films and filmmakers, including:
- Moonlight – Barry Jenkins (TIFF ’16)
- Sound of Metal – Darius Marder (TIFF ’19)
- Lady Macbeth – William Oldroyd (TIFF ’17)
- Martin Eden – Pietro Marcello (TIFF ’19)
- Riceboy Sleeps – Anthony Shim (TIFF ’22)
More than a competition, Platform is a curatorial statement — a space where risk, innovation, and voice are front and center. These are films that may not play to the mainstream but will undoubtedly shape the cinematic landscape to come. In its tenth year, Platform’s impact is undeniable, and its 2025 edition looks to be one of its most globally ambitious yet.
The 50th Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, takes place September 4–14, 2025. The full schedule will be released on August 12 at tiff.net.
