TIFF Next Wave Film Festival

TORONTO — TIFF Next Wave Film Festival presented by Takis® and backed by the Ontario Arts Council and the City of Toronto, returns from April 16–19 for its 15th edition. This event showcases a weekend of youth-centered international cinema, curated by TIFF’s youngest programmers, the TIFF Next Wave Committee. Tickets for Official Selection films are complimentary for those under 25 with the TIFF’s Under-25 Free Pass, with special Under-25 pricing available for select events. Tickets will be released on March 25 for TIFF Members and Under-25 Free Pass holders, and to the general public on March 27.

The weekend begins with the Canadian Premiere of Chandler Levack's Roommates featuring Sadie Sandler, Chloe East, Billy Bryk, Sarah Sherman, Natasha Lyonne, and Nick Kroll, followed by Oscar Boyson’s Our Hero, Balthazar starring Jaeden Martell and Asa Butterfield. Both screenings will include director Q&As.

This year’s festival highlights nine feature films from seven countries, along with Q&As, interactive workshops, and special events, including the eagerly awaited opening night party.

“Next Wave Film Festival is led by our next generation for a new generation,” says Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “The Next Wave committee curates with fresh perspectives, bringing unique and thoughtful new voices to the screen, and young audiences contribute inspiring dialogue and enthusiasm.”

The TIFF Next Wave Committee consists of 12 teenagers from across the GTA who are committed to introducing their peers to groundbreaking international cinema. In addition to curating the Next Wave Film Festival each April, the committee convenes at TIFF Lightbox throughout the year to organize the monthly “Next Wave Presents” series — a lineup designed for the next generation of film enthusiasts.

For 15 years, Next Wave has supported the upcoming generation of filmmakers, writers, and programmers, with alumni like filmmaker Emma Seligman (Shiva Baby, Bottoms), actors Iman Vellani (Ms. Marvel) and Emma Cheuk (Late Bloomer, Mile End Kicks), programmer and critic Winnie Wang (Toronto Review), and numerous passionate film fans from the city.

“This year’s Next Wave Film Festival lineup highlights self-expression through passionate, diverse, and DIY storytelling methods, providing a platform for emerging voices who thoughtfully challenge conventions and embrace experimentation. We aim for the festival to be a place for celebrating life in motion and the chaos of growing up today. There is something for everyone at Next Wave, and we look forward to new opportunities for conversation, connection, and discovery.” —TIFF Next Wave Committee 2025-2026

The festivities commence with Battle of the Scores, a dynamic live showcase where four emerging bands create scores for a silent short film, with the audience selecting the winner. Co-programmed by Insomniac Film Festival, this year’s competition includes musical acts Ceippo, LAPDANCE, Soulair, and Tribunals. The films being scored are Missed U (dir. Ella Saini) and Rent is Due (dir. Alex Dombek). The Opening Night Party, themed “Motion Blur,” promises an immersive and grand celebration.

The festival concludes with the Young Creators Showcase, a short film program spotlighting emerging Canadian filmmakers, with juried awards for Best Film, Best Cinematography, Best Writing, and Best Editing, presented by MUBI.

New this year, the Drop-in: Young Creators Launch Pad runs alongside the Young Creators Showcase, offering emerging creators the chance to connect directly with post-secondary schools, film organizations, and industry experts for practical advice and feedback on their projects and creative careers.

In honor of the 15th edition, Creators on a Wave brings alumni back to the screen with a program of new short films from past Young Creators Showcase filmmakers and Next Wave Committee members, including Katherine Lynn-Rose, Paul Daniel Torres, Ellie Tripp, and Presley Flores-Holz, the winner of last year’s Young Creators Showcase Award for Best Film, who is now a 2026 Next Wave Committee Member.

Festival attendees can engage in the Young Creators Co-Lab, a series of talks and workshops connecting budding artists with industry professionals and introducing pathways to careers in film. This year’s sessions include Music in Motion with R.T. Thorne, Ievy Stamatov, and Nathan Lau, Costume in Conversation with Hanna Puley, Courtney Mitchell, and Charlene Akuamoah, Aesthetic Overload: Finding Your Visual Style with Avalon Fast, Thomas Percy Kim, and Stella Marie Markert, and a drop-in workshop: Camera Obscurities. The Young Creators Co-Lab is presented by the City of Toronto.

Returning to Next Wave is Canada’s Drag Race star Miss Moço, hosting a participatory screening of High School Musical 3: Senior Year.

2026 Next Wave Film Festival Official Selection Films

• Big Girls Don’t Cry | dir. Paloma Schneideman | New Zealand

  Canadian Premiere

  In a subtly homophobic rural town in the mid-2000s, a 14-year-old girl explores her sexual curiosity and desire for acceptance over a transformative summer.

  Virtual Q&A with director Paloma Schneideman

• Burn | dir. Makoto Nagahisa | Japan

  Canadian Premiere

  A runaway teen (Nana Mori of Kokuho, TIFF ‘25) finds solace in a group of young misfits but soon realizes that danger can be present even in seemingly safe havens.

• CAMP | dir. Avalon Fast | Canada

  Toronto Premiere

  At a Christian grief camp, a group of counselors find catharsis through the occult — with unforeseen consequences.

  In-person Q&A with director Avalon Fast

• If I Go Will They Miss Me | dir. Walter Thompson-Hernández | USA

  Canadian Premiere

  A 12-year-old struggling to connect with his idolized father begins to see ghostly figures of boys in his neighborhood.

• Ish | dir. Imran Perretta | United Kingdom

  Toronto Premiere

  A childhood friendship is shattered after a traumatic encounter with the police in this poetic and poignant drama.

• Isle Child | dir. Thomas Percy Kim | South Korea/USA

  Canadian Premiere

  An adopted New England teen, portrayed by Ethan Hwang (Riceboy Sleeps, TIFF ‘22), confronts his feelings of otherness upon discovering his Korean birth mother is terminally ill.

  In-person Q&A with director Thomas Percy Kim and actor Ethan Hwang

• Niñxs | dir. Kani Lapuerta | Mexico/Germany

  Toronto Premiere

  Filmed over eight years in Tepoztlán, Mexico, this vibrant documentary follows Karla through an adolescence filled with joy, resilience, and transformation.

• Our Hero, Balthazar | dir. Oscar Boyson | USA

  Toronto Premiere

  In a misguided attempt to impress a crush, a lonely New York teen travels to Texas, believing he can prevent a future school shooting — but his plan quickly unravels.

  In-person Q&A with director Oscar Boyson and actor Jaeden Martell

• Thanks for Nothing | dir. Stella Marie Markert | Germany

  Canadian Premiere

  Four teens in a Berlin group home create their own anarchic utopia, but the unhelpful adults in their lives and the harsh realities of the world threaten to tear it apart.

  In-person Q&A with director Stella Marie Markert