TIFF Announces Canada’s Top Ten Films of 2025
The short film lineup features 10 titles, seven of which screened at TIFF ’25. Among them is The Girl Who Cried Pearls by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, winner of the Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film and recently shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.
TIFF has unveiled its annual Canada’s Top Ten list, spotlighting the country’s most outstanding feature films and shorts of the year. The 25th edition of the showcase, presented by MUBI, will run February 5–8 at TIFF Lightbox, with public screenings throughout the four-day event.
Among the selected feature films is Uiksaringitara (Wrong Husband), which won Best Canadian Feature Film at TIFF ’25. Its director, Zacharias Kunuk, also received a Special Tribute Award at the festival. Other highlights include Chandler Levack’s Mile End Kicks and Bretten Hannam’s Sk+te'kmujue'katik (At the Place of Ghosts), both of which premiered at TIFF ’25.
This year’s lineup includes four debut features: Sophy Romvari’s Blue Heron, winner of the Best Canadian Discovery Award at TIFF ’25 and the First Feature Award at Locarno; Eric K. Boulianne’s Follies; Kid Koala’s animated film Space Cadet; and Amalie Atkins’ documentary Agatha’s Almanac, which was named Best Canadian Feature Documentary at Hot Docs 2025.
Additional selections include Matt Johnson’s Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, winner of the People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award, and The Things You Kill, Canada’s official submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, directed by Iranian-Canadian filmmaker Alireza Khatami.
The short film lineup features 10 titles, seven of which screened at TIFF ’25. Among them is The Girl Who Cried Pearls by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, winner of the Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film and recently shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.
TIFF’s Chief Programming Officer Anita Lee said the selections reflect the breadth of contemporary Canadian cinema, highlighting both globally focused stories and deeply personal filmmaking voices.
The showcase will open on February 5 with a ceremony that includes the presentation of the Charles Officer Legacy Award, recognizing a Black Canadian director or writer whose work reflects artistic excellence and community engagement.
A selection of the films will also tour nationally through the Donald Shebib Film Circuit, bringing Canadian cinema to more than 100 rural, remote, and underserved communities.
