Five TIFF movies that were filmed in Toronto

The Toronto International Film Festival attracts movies and stars from around the world but it also features local productions.

TIFF celebrates its 50th anniversary with 291 films (209 features, six classics, 10 primetime, and 66 shorts). This year, there are 55 titles from filmmakers representing nearly fifty countries including Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chad, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, France, Germany, Iraq, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, Poland, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand, according to TIFF.

The festival runs from Sept. 4 to 14 in the heart of Toronto’s entertainment district.

Here are five films shot partly or fully in Toronto:

Nika & Madison

This film from Walpole Island First Nation director Eva Thomas tells the story of two young Indigenous women who go on the run after one’s defence of the other results in a violent attack against a police officer.

Eva Thomas’ short film Redlights (TIFF ’23) was about Canadian police officers driving Indigenous people to isolated locations outside of city limits, and dumping them there, putting them in danger of frostbite, hypothermia, and, all too often, a frozen death.

Nika & Madison, Thomas’ solo directorial feature debut, was filmed in Toronto and surrounding areas in the fall of 2024, according to the Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance.

The film opens at the Scotiabank Theatre on Sunday, Sept. 7.

100 Sunset

Filmed in Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood, 100 Sunset tells the story of a  young, introverted thief, Kunsel (Tenzin Kunsel), who spies on her Tibetan community.

Described as “mesmerizing,” the film by Kunsang Kyirong delves into a bond between two young women and the community of Tibetan immigrants living in an apartment complex. After Kunsel meets Passang (Sonam Choekyi) — an enigmatic newcomer with a much older husband — she must venture beyond her comfortable position as a wary, watchful outsider, the TIFF description reads.

100 Sunset opens at the TIFF Lightbox theatre on Saturday, Sept. 6.

Frankenstein

Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro puts his spin on the classic Mary Shelley horror story, Frankenstein. Known for movies like Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water, de Toro has written and directed this version.

“Having spent most of his life absorbing and distilling the Frankenstein story and all its lore, del Toro takes liberties with the novel,” the TIFF description reads. “The result is a singular vision that could only have come from cinema’s master of the monstrous.”

Filmed in Toronto and Scotland, del Toro fans are anxiously awaiting this release. The Mexican-born director, who has often praised Toronto, recently received a key to the city.

The film has its North American premiere at TIFF on Monday, Sept. 8 at the Princess of Wales Theatre.

John Candy: I Like Me

This documentary from director Colin Hanks celebrates Toronto comedian John Candy’s life and work through archival materials and interviews. Dan Aykroyd, fellow Torontonian Catherine O’Hara, Steve Martin, Tom Hanks, Martin Short, Eugene Levy and Macaulay Culkin give heartfelt testimonies, according to the TIFF description.

“Hanks’ buoyant portrait pays tribute to Candy’s genius as a thespian, improvisor, and creator, taking care to highlight the tenderness and depth found in quieter performances,” the TIFF description reads.

This film opens at VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre and Roy Thompson Hall on Thursday, Sept. 4.

Degrassi: Whatever It Takes

Lisa Rideout’s nostalgic documentary, Degrassi: Whatever It Takes, focuses on the groundbreaking Canadian teen series Degrassi, featuring interviews with cast members and devoted fans. The most famous cast member, Aubrey Drake Graham, appears reminiscing about the years he spent playing Jimmy Brooks.

Created by Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler, the Degrassi television franchise followed the lives of youths attending a Toronto high school.

The documentary film celebrates the realistic take on adolescence that the franchise pioneered (especially when tackling divisive subjects like abortion) while also delving into thornier matters, like some actors’ misgivings about what the show demanded of them and how little they were compensated, according to the TIFF description.

Degrassi: Whatever It Takes opens at Scotiabank Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 13.

For the full TIFF schedule, see the website here.