by Tim Gordon
The Special Presentations section at the Toronto International Film Festival has always been a space where boundary-pushing filmmaking meets global prestige. In TIFF’s landmark 50th edition, that tradition continues with a dazzling, genre-spanning lineup of five world premieres from some of the most compelling storytellers working today. These are the films that blend auteur ambition with audience appeal, cinema with something to say, and a style all its own.
Whether it’s a searing historical drama from Agnieszka Holland, a genre-defying Japanese-American collaboration from HIKARI, or the return of Rian Johnson’s razor-sharp detective Benoit Blanc, the 2025 Special Presentations selection delivers narrative scope, cultural depth, and cinematic fireworks.
Here’s a closer look at the films that will anchor one of TIFF’s most exciting sections this year.
Franz
Director: Agnieszka Holland
Countries: Czech Republic / Germany / Poland — World Premiere
A giant of European cinema, Agnieszka Holland returns with Franz, a historical drama that is likely to probe the dark complexities of 20th-century Europe through an intimate lens. Known for her politically charged and morally probing films (Europa Europa, Mr. Jones), Holland’s latest is expected to be a powerful and resonant work, tying the personal to the political with fearless insight. Set across three countries with a multilingual cast, Franz promises a haunting meditation on identity, resistance, and the weight of memory.
The Lost Bus
Director: Paul Greengrass
Country: USA — World Premiere
A filmmaker synonymous with tension and real-world immediacy, Paul Greengrass (United 93, Captain Phillips) brings his signature handheld intensity to The Lost Bus. While plot details are tightly under wraps, expect a visceral and emotionally charged thriller that places ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. With Greengrass’s sharp political instincts and unmatched pacing, this could be one of TIFF’s most gripping and urgent entries.
Rental Family
Director: HIKARI
Countries: USA / Japan — World Premiere
Blending cultural specificity with inventive storytelling, HIKARI’s Rental Family explores Japan’s unique industry of surrogate relationships through a Western lens. The filmmaker’s acclaimed debut 37 Seconds introduced audiences to deeply human, quietly radical storytelling, and Rental Family is poised to expand that vision. Expect a film that challenges definitions of family, belonging, and identity with humor, pathos, and grace.
Steal Away
Director: Clement Virgo
Countries: Canada / Belgium — World Premiere
Acclaimed Canadian director Clement Virgo returns with Steal Away, a sweeping historical drama rooted in African diasporic history and liberation. Known for Brother and The Book of Negroes, Virgo crafts stories with elegance and emotional depth. Steal Away is expected to be a powerful journey of resistance, music, and faith, possibly following the true story of the Fisk Jubilee Singers and their fight for freedom through song. It’s a defining Canadian entry that also speaks to a global Black experience.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Director: Rian Johnson
Country: USA — World Premiere
Detective Benoit Blanc is back—and so is Rian Johnson, returning to TIFF with the third chapter in his wildly popular Knives Out franchise. With Wake Up Dead Man, Johnson once again reinvents the murder mystery with his signature blend of suspense, satire, and razor-sharp wit. Expect a new cast of suspects, a fresh setting, and another twisty, deliciously layered puzzle for Blanc to solve. It’s one of the hottest tickets of the Festival, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Fresh Highlights: A Selection of Key New Entries
Frankenstein
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Country: USA — North American Premiere
The Oscar-winning filmmaker reinvents Mary Shelley’s classic tale with gothic grandeur and emotional pathos.
Degrassi: Whatever It Takes
Director: Lisa Rideout
Country: Canada — World Premiere
A nostalgic and revealing doc that charts the cultural impact of one of Canada’s most iconic teen franchises.
Scarlet
Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Country: Japan — North American Premiere
An animated feature from the acclaimed director of Belle and Mirai, Scarlet explores love, identity, and loss across generations.
Nouvelle Vague
Director: Richard Linklater
Country: France | Canadian Premiere
Linklater channels the energy of French New Wave in this love letter to cinema and artistic rebellion.
Christy
Director: David Michôd
Country: USA | World Premiere
A taut and emotionally intense drama from the director of Animal Kingdom and The King.
Sacrifice
Director: Romain Gavras
Country: United Kingdom/Greece | World Premiere
A politically charged, visually explosive drama steeped in myth, class conflict, and cinematic bravado.
California Schemin’
Director: James McAvoy
Country: UK/USA | World Premiere
The acclaimed actor makes his directorial debut with a darkly comic tale of ambition and deception in 1990s Los Angeles.
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Country: Iran/France/Luxembourg | Canadian Premiere
The latest from the Iranian master of resistance cinema—a sly, suspenseful reflection on surveillance, guilt, and justice.
You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution…
Director: Nick Davis
Country: USA | World Premiere
A surprising and joyful documentary tracing the early days of comedy legends like Gilda Radner, Martin Short, and Eugene Levy.
From Baz Luhrmann’s genre-blending EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert to Ildikó Enyedi’s mysterious Silent Friend and Alejandro Amenábar’s period thriller The Captive, this year’s Special Presentations push form and content across cinematic boundaries.
Meanwhile, films like Kei Ishikawa’s A Pale View of Hills, Óliver Laxe’s SirÄt, and Simón Mesa Soto’s A Poet speak to TIFF’s commitment to championing bold international voices, offering urgent, poetic, and politically resonant narratives.
TIFF’s Special Presentations are where bold storytelling meets international acclaim. These are films that often straddle the line between arthouse prestige and mainstream reach, offering viewers emotionally rich, socially resonant, and stylistically daring work. This year’s selections remind us that storytelling still has the power to illuminate the past, provoke thought, and entertain with style.
