TFS Students and Alumni Shine at TIFF® 50 with 22 Films Featured on Festival Street
For the second consecutive year, TFS proudly sponsored the TIFF Festival Street Art Market in partnership with TIFF, transforming John Street at King Street West into a vibrant hub of film-inspired creativity from September 4–7. As part of the festivities, the TFS Cinema — a 10×20-foot outdoor mini theatre — showcased a curated lineup of 22 short films created by TFS students and graduates.
Toronto Film School once again took center stage during the Toronto International Film Festival®’s milestone 50th edition this September, celebrating the creativity and storytelling talent of its students and alumni.
For the second consecutive year, TFS proudly sponsored the TIFF Festival Street Art Market in partnership with TIFF, transforming John Street at King Street West into a vibrant hub of film-inspired creativity from September 4–7. As part of the festivities, the TFS Cinema — a 10×20-foot outdoor mini theatre — showcased a curated lineup of 22 short films created by TFS students and graduates.
Located just steps from the TIFF Lightbox, the installation drew festivalgoers and industry professionals alike, offering a front-row seat to the innovation and passion emerging from Toronto Film School’s diploma programs.
Read below for the full lineup of student and alumni films featured at this year’s TFS Cinema Showcase.
59:59
Marky Hugh | Film Production ’26
Run time: 8:05
Synopsis: In this intense psychological short film, Alex is trapped in a dark room, confronted with a life-altering decision. Haunted by guilt over a past mistake that hurt his father, he must choose between saving himself or sacrificing someone he loves. As time ticks away, Alex faces his regrets and wrestles with redemption. 59:59 Time Starts Now! is a suspenseful tale of guilt, love, and forgiveness — where every second counts.
Agon and Eba in Real World with Cookies!
Matthew Jones
Run time: 0:26
Synopsis: A dragon-box creature and a zebra-ball creature drop by a human’s home for a visit — just in time for cookies!
All In, Baby
Olivia-Autumn Rennie | Video Production ’25
Run time: 9:08
Synopsis: All In, Baby follows Ocean Rutherford, a broke but brilliant medical student drawn into the world of high-stakes poker. Living a double life — student by day, poker star by night — she discovers that true strength comes from playing life’s toughest hands with courage and heart.
Calaverita a la Muerte
Luis Pacheco | Film Production ’25
Run time: 10:30
Synopsis: On his deathbed, Catrín confronts Death — not to ask for more life, but to understand why she spared him 20 years earlier. When she denies it, his threat to take his own life forces her to confess: she loves him. Their final, tender moment leaves Death alone forever.
Dance With Me
Grace Gahore | Film Production ’25
Run time: 11:32
Synopsis: When a childhood best friend reawakens a traumatic memory, Alana, now a successful businesswoman, must choose between advancing her corporate career or reigniting her lost passion. Her decision could either cement her success or redefine her purpose.
Emulate
Frank McMahan | Acting for Film, TV & the Theatre ’26
Run time: 4:07
Synopsis: Emulate delves into the chaotic psyche of someone obsessed with becoming another person. Through warped time and fragmented perception, the film explores identity, envy, and the danger of losing oneself while trying to imitate others.
Finesse
Chad Tailor | Acting for Film, TV & the Theatre ’13
Run time: 11:25
Synopsis: When Mickey offers a ride home to a stranded classmate, it seems like an innocent act of kindness. But when her mother’s prized porcelain egg later goes missing, suspicion turns to fear — and Mickey realizes that danger may have been riding shotgun.
Gender Reveal
Bryanny Bailey | Writing for Film & TV ’23
Run time: 9:15
Synopsis: A woman who has always done everything right hosts a gender reveal party — only for everything to go hilariously, disastrously wrong.
How I Remember Istanbul
Ellie B.
Run time: 14:55
Synopsis: Using raw, unfiltered VHS footage, this film explores Istanbul’s hidden corners — its fractured streets and forgotten spaces. Dedicated to imprisoned urban planner Murat Çalık, it reflects on injustice, resilience, and the unseen beauty within struggle.
Hugging My ADHD
Andrea Lira | Film Production ’25
Run time: 10:06
Synopsis: Camila’s life descends into chaos as she begins to lose control of her focus and surroundings. What starts as mild forgetfulness turns into an overwhelming sensory storm — forcing her to confront the possibility that she has been denying ADHD all along.
Hungr
Robert Defina | Writing for Film & TV ’25
Run time: 8:02
Synopsis: Feeling overshadowed in his open relationship, Gavin switches bodies with his partner Jaime to see life through his eyes — only to discover that jealousy cuts both ways.
In The Moonlight
David Chiappetta | Writing for Film & TV ’22
Run time: 6:11
Synopsis: A woman is drawn into a haze of memory, grief, and longing when her ex-girlfriend mysteriously returns for one final night.
Knocked Down
Lisanne Gamelin | Writing for Film & TV ’22
Run time: 9:35
Synopsis: After a night of partying in rural Quebec, Lenny faces a confrontation he can’t avoid — and Béatrice isn’t holding back this time.
Legacy
Adam Levine | Writing for Film & TV ’25
Run time: 7:13
Synopsis: Torn between family tradition and his own dreams, 17-year-old Jackson must tell his conservative parents that he wants to leave ballet school to pursue hip-hop. Legacy explores identity, courage, and the cost of breaking free.
Lifeline
Jamie Norie | Film Production ’21
Run time: 14:19
Synopsis: Lifeline follows Janelle, who has spent years trying to save a loved one from recurring suicidal attempts. When she finally calls a hotline for help, she must face the painful truth about love, limits, and letting go.
Love of My Lie
Daniel Bastone | Film Production ’25
Run time: 13:38
Synopsis: In therapy, Vincent’s psychiatrist reveals a devastating truth — his longtime girlfriend, Jennifer, isn’t real, but a character from a childhood show that once comforted him through trauma.
Meeting Damien
Levi Goethe-Bahlmann | Film Production ’25
Run time: 8:14
Synopsis: When Damien returns home post-transition, his parents mistake him for his sister’s new boyfriend. What begins as an awkward dinner turns into an emotional reckoning of identity, acceptance, and love.
The Appraiser
Camryn Anderson | Acting for Film, TV & the Theatre ’24
Run time: 13:24
Synopsis: In a dystopian world where citizens’ self-worth is monetized, an insecure evaluator enforces a cruel system while secretly struggling with her own fractured sense of value.
The Battle Within
Andrew Iddon | Acting for Film, TV & the Theatre ’25
Run time: 5:29
Synopsis: Not all wars are fought abroad. A soldier battles unseen wounds within — a powerful tribute to veterans facing the ongoing war of mental health.
Thief
Christian Fisher | Writing for Film & TV ’27
Run time: 10:05
Synopsis: A petty criminal risks everything for a single photograph that could change his life — only to realize that freedom might always stay just out of reach.
Wake Up
Win Sum Chow | Acting for Film, TV & the Theatre ’25
Run time: 9:28
Synopsis: Wake Up is a chilling mystery that plunges Lucy into a looping nightmare where dreams and reality intertwine — and neither can be trusted.
Where is Home?
Barkai Ben Yakar | Acting for Film, TV & the Theatre ’24
Run time: 13:43
Synopsis: In Where is Home, Emma, a perfectionist living abroad in Toronto, tries to recreate the coffee from her childhood — only to discover that home is not a place, but a feeling that can never be perfectly replicated.