by Tim Gordon
TIFF’s landmark 25th Wavelengths programme returns with a tightly curated selection of 25 exciting new works from some of the world’s most daring auteurs and artists, cementing its reputation as the Festival’s home for the avant-garde, the experimental, and the artful edge of international cinema.
Spanning eight features, a special pairing, and three short programmes, this year’s lineup offers an exhilarating reflection on the art of film, blending emerging voices with legendary masters. From sweeping epics to intimate miniatures, the works push cinematic form in ways that are both challenging and deeply resonant.
Beloved Wavelengths alumni return in force: Lav Diaz, now honoured with a Luminary designation, presents Magellan, a decolonial epic starring Gael García Bernal; Ben Rivers offers the fable-like post-apocalyptic Mare’s Nest; Nicolás Pereda delivers the typically sly and surprising Copper; and Maureen Fazendeiro unveils her shape-shifting solo debut, The Seasons.
The programme also welcomes a slate of captivating World Premieres. Rhayne Vermette follows her TIFF award-winning Ste. Anne with the enigmatic Levers. Acclaimed artist and filmmaker Kahlil Joseph makes his Wavelengths debut with BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions, a buzzy, near-unclassifiable vision. Alexandre Koberidze presents Dry Leaf, a bold, meditative experiment shot entirely on an old Sony Ericsson phone.
A special pairing brings together Kamal Aljafari’s powerful With Hasan in Gaza and Basma al-Sharif’s poignant short It’s So Beautiful Here, one of two works from the artist featured this year.
The short programmes bring a dynamic, international, and intergenerational mix, with works presented on film prints, in 3D, and across a range of innovative forms. World Premieres from Viktoria Schmid, Björn Kämmerer, Blake Williams, and Friedl vom Gröller join first-time Wavelengths artists Fredj Moussa, Kaiwen Ren, and Eri Saito. Returning favourites include Mark Jenkin, Chan Hau Chun, Jorge Caballero and Camilo Restrepo, Abdellah Taïa, Sohrab Hura, and Maryam Tafakory, whose award-winning Daria’s Night Flowers screens in the programme.
This year also includes a heartfelt tribute to the late Tomonari Nishikawa, a cherished friend of TIFF and celebrated avant-garde filmmaker, with a screening of his 2016 Festival premiere, Ten Mornings Ten Evenings and One Horizon.
Named after Michael Snow’s 1967 masterwork, Wavelengths continues to embody Snow’s boundless exploration and innovation in cinema and beyond. Curated by Senior Curator Andréa Picard and Associate Curator Jesse Cumming, with contributions from Jason Anderson and Diana Cadavid, the programme reaffirms its status as one of TIFF’s most daring showcases — a space where cinema’s future is constantly being reimagined.
The 50th Toronto International Film Festival runs September 4–14, 2025.