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Women in film at the Toronto Women Film Festival

Updated: Sep 29, 2025

The Toronto Women Film Festival is dedicated to supporting, recognizing, and empowering women's voices in cinema. It celebrates and honors films created by talented women filmmakers from across the globe. In recent years, the festival has showcased films by female directors at venues like Carlton Cinema, Innis Town Hall at the University of Toronto, various art centers, and digitally through the annual women's catalogue of the Toronto Film magazine. The festival conducts a seasonal competition, and hosts live annual screening events.


Every season, the festival team nominates and selects films and artists for different sections of the seasonal competition. The focus is on female-driven narratives and independent female directors, producers, writers, actresses, cinematographers, editors, and all female artists contributing to the cinematic language as women in film. The festival aims to discover, promote, screen, and award female filmmakers and stories about women in societies worldwide.


In recent years, the Toronto Women Festival has become one of the most popular festivals dedicated to female talent in the film industry. The jury and programmers are selected from award-winning artists in media from Canada, the United States, Austria, Germany, Japan, Iran, India, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and other countries worldwide. We are pleased to announce the latest seasonal winners of the festival.




Best Narrative Feature

Do Us Part

Director: Clare Preuss


Best Narrative Short

Teddy

Director: Nini Bull Robsahm


Best Feature Documentary

BETWEEN FLESH AND METAL

Director: Noëlie GIRAUD


Best Short Documentary

North Node

Directors: Tatjana Green, Nicole VanStone


Best Experimental

Kankantri (the silk cotton tree)

Director: Gabri Christa


Best Comedy

Motor City Casting

Director: Janet Torreano Pound


Best Horror

People, People, People!

Director: Emily Steele


Best Animation

Dies Irae

Director: Victoria Basadre


Best Web/TV/Pilot

Heal avec Delphine

Director: Delphine Breyne



Best Music Video

Snow Ballad

Director: Kathleen Stevenson


Best Student Film

An Everyday Occurrence

Director: Virginia Porter Hepp


Best Actress

Olwen Fouéré

THE RECKONING OF ERIN MORRIGAN


Best Scriptwriter

Samantha Shaber

PEEPING MAUREEN


Best Producer

Zhanna Tedeeva-Kalinina & Alexandra Voronkova

1993


Best Editor

Maria Todorov – Topouzov

What now?


Best Director

Nikki Lyn Neurohr

Baggage Claim


Best Composer

Hollie Mann

My Fighter


Best LGBTQ

AMANTES

Director: Caroline Fournier


Best Human Rights

Gaza's Silent Threat

Director: Maria Fernanda Lauret


Best Film About Women

Myocardium

Director: José Manuel Carrasco


Best Environmental

The Birds Who Lived Home - Where Did You All Go?

Director: Hwayong KIM


Best First Time Filmmaker

You Gotta Be Kidding

Director: Tamami Kusaka


Best thriller

Infestation

Director: Yana Sar


Best Unproduced Script

The Two Halves of the Sun

Natacha Pierre


Best Historical Film

Follow, If I Can

Directors: Julia Keesler, Cameron Strittmatter


Best Biographical Film

Headshots – Anja Niedringhaus, photographer

Director: Sonya Winterberg


Best Sport Film

PINK POWER

Director: Chiara Kempers


Best Youth Artist

Maggie Lou

The Daughter's choice



 
 
 

31 Comments


This feature on women in film at the Toronto Women Film Festival is truly inspiring and highlights the importance of representation, creativity, and diverse voices in cinema. Celebrating women storytellers helps encourage confidence and imagination in future generations. As a parent, I believe exposure to creative role models plays a big role in shaping how children see their potential. While learning more about Loganville Springfield El School, I noticed how schools that support arts, storytelling, and inclusive values help children grow both academically and creatively. When education and creative expression come together, it builds confidence, empathy, and a strong foundation for lifelong learning.

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This feature on women in film at the Toronto Women Film Festival is truly inspiring and highlights the power of representation, creativity, and diverse voices in cinema. Showcasing women’s stories and perspectives encourages confidence and opens doors for future generations. As a parent, I think exposure to creative role models plays a big role in shaping how children see their own potential. While researching the Best Elementary Schools in California, I noticed that schools supporting arts, storytelling, and inclusive programs tend to nurture creativity alongside academics. When children grow up seeing strong examples in film and education, it helps them dream bigger and believe in their own voices.

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A powerful spotlight on women shaping the future of cinema 🎬

The Toronto Women Film Festival highlights diverse voices, creativity, and bold storytelling.

An inspiring platform for filmmakers and audiences alike.

For event highlights and film moments, you can also download Pinterest video featuring the festival and its creators.

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