Today, TIFF proudly announces its 2025 Discovery programme, presented by Air France, offering audiences a rare treat to witness talented, visionary filmmakers from across the globe premiering their debut and sophomore features. This year’s diverse lineup kicks off strong with its opening night film, “Maddie’s Secret,” an unmissable directorial debut that satirizes and skewers content culture from iconic alt-comedian John Early. Early, alongside a troupe of comedians including Kate Berlant, Vanessa Bayer, and Conner O’Malley, plays the titular role. Other anticipated films include Cato Kusters’ “Julian,” produced by Michiel and Lukas Dhont; Nadia Latif’s “The Man in My Basement,” starring Corey Hawkins and Willem Dafoe; Zamo Mkhwanazi’s “Laundry,” a rare co-production between South Africa and Switzerland; Taratoa Stappard’s Māori Gothic “Mārama;” and Canadian director and TIFF alum Eva Thomas’ “Nika & Madison.”
The Discovery programme boasts a rich history of championing and launching some of the world’s most acclaimed filmmakers, including Ildikó Enyedi, Alfonso Cuarón, Julie Dash, Jean-Marc Vallée, Christopher Nolan, Maren Ade, Yorgos Lanthimos, Barry Jenkins, Dea Kulumbegashvili, Emma Seligman, and Elegance Bratton. The 2025 Discovery selection has been programmed by Dorota Lech, Jason Anderson, Kelly Boutsalis, Diana Cadavid, Robyn Citizen, June Kim, and Jason Ryle. The programme will deliver 23 World Premiere titles, spanning 30+ countries, including Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey, promising this year to be a truly unmissable moment to catch the international voices of the future.
2025 Discovery Programming (in alphabetical order):
100 Sunset | Kunsang Kyirong | Canada
World Premiere
Amoeba | Siyou Tan | Singapore/Netherlands/France/Spain/South Korea
World Premiere
As We Breathe | Şeyhmus Altun | Turkey/Denmark
World Premiere
Babystar | Joscha Bongard | Germany
World Premiere
Bayaan | Bikas Ranjan Mishra | India
World Premiere
Dinner With Friends | Sasha Leigh Henry | Canada
World Premiere
Egghead Republic | Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja | Sweden
World Premiere
Forastera | Lucía Aleñar Iglesias | Spain/Italy/Sweden
World Premiere
Ghost School | Seemab Gul | Pakistan
World Premiere
Julian | Cato Kusters | Belgium/Netherlands
World Premiere
Laundry | Zamo Mkhwanazi | Switzerland/South Africa
World Premiere
Little Lorraine | Andy Hines | Canada
World Premiere
Maddie’s Secret | John Early | USA
World Premiere
Mārama | Taratoa Stappard | New Zealand
World Premiere
Nika & Madison | Eva Thomas | Canada
World Premiere
Noviembre | Tomás Corredor | Colombia/Mexico/Brazil/Norway
World Premiere
Oca | Karla Badillo | Mexico/Argentina
World Premiere
Our Father | Goran Stankovic | Serbia/Italy/Croatia/North Macedonia/Montenegro/Bosnia and Herzegovina
World Premiere
Out Standing | Mélanie Charbonneau | Canada
World Premiere
Retreat | Ted Evans | United Kingdom
World Premiere
Sink | Zain Duraie | Jordan/Saudi Arabia/Qatar/France
World Premiere
The Man in My Basement | Nadia Latif | United Kingdom/USA
World Premiere
The Son and the Sea | Stroma Cairns | United Kingdom
World Premiere
Tomorrow’s TIFF Takeover is the Midnight Madness programming and the last announcement of the week. More Festival details will be announced in the coming weeks. The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs September 4–14, 2025.
Previously announced:
Galas And Special Presentations Lineup
Platform Programming & Jury
Upcoming announcements:
- Thursday, July 24th: Midnight Madness
Takeover 2: August 5th–8th
- Tuesday, August 5th: Centrepiece
- Wednesday, August 6th: TIFF Docs
- Thursday, August 7th: Shortcuts & Primetime
- Friday, August 8th: Wavelengths & TIFF Classics
Key 2025 Festival Links:
- Programmers: https://tiff.net/programmers
- Ticketing Dates: https://tiff.net/about-the-festival
- Media Library: https://tiff.net/media/library/festival
- TIFF: The Market: https://tiff.net/themarket (coming in 2026)
What do you think of the films announced so far? What other titles do you think will screen at this year’s TIFF? Are you planning on attending in-person? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or on our X account.
