Frontmezzjunkies reports: TIFF Wavelengths Make An Announcement
Featuring Kamal Aljafari, Basma al-Sharif, Lav Diaz, Mark Jenkin, Kahlil Joseph, Alexandre Koberidze, Ben Rivers, Maryam Tafakory, Abdellah Taïa, Rhayne Vermette, Blake Williams, and more
TORONTO — TIFF is thrilled to announce its 25th Wavelengths programme, the Festival’s steadfast visionary selection highlighting the best of international cinema, the experimental and avant-garde, and contemporary art. This year’s lineup — through eight features, a special pairing, and three shorts programmes — offers a timely reflection on the art of cinema, bringing together emerging talents alongside legendary filmmakers. From epics to miniatures, the works in this year’s programme push the boundaries of filmic form and language in ways both inspiring and resonant. The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, will take place September 4–14, 2025.
Wavelengths favourites returning with features include Lav Diaz, with his new Luminary designation, to present the Gael García Bernal-fronted decolonial epic Magellan; Ben Rivers with his fable-like post-apocalyptic Mare’s Nest; the ever-sly Nicolás Pereda with his typically efficient and surprising Copper; and Maureen Fazendeiro with her poetic, shape-shifting solo feature debut The Seasons.
World Premieres include Rhayne Vermette’s singular and enigmatic Levers, the anticipated follow-up to her TIFF Amplify Voices award-winning Ste. Anne (2021). TIFF is proud to also welcome a number of filmmakers making their first appearance in Wavelengths, including artist and filmmaker Kahlil Joseph with his buzzy, near-unclassifiable BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions, and Alexandre Koberidze with his bold and meditative Dry Leaf, shot on an antiquated Sony Ericsson phone.
Additionally, this year’s lineup features a special pairing of Kamal Aljafari’s powerful With Hasan in Gaza, which screens alongside Basma al-Sharif’s equally moving short It’s So Beautiful Here (one of two films by the artist in this year’s selection).
Across three curated programmes, this year’s shorts boast an international and intergenerational mix of artists, a number of film prints, and one work of 3D. World Premieres by Viktoria Schmid, Björn Kämmerer, Blake Williams, and Friedl vom Gröller will be presented alongside exciting first appearances by newcomers Fredj Moussa, Kaiwen Ren, and Eri Saito, among others.
Additional highlights include new work by Mark Jenkin— also presenting his feature Rose of Nevada in Special Presentations — Chan Hau Chun; Jorge Caballero and Camilo Restrepo; Abdellah Taïa; Sohrab Hura; and Maryam Tafakory, with her award-winning Daria’s Night Flowers.
Finally, this year’s diverse showcase also includes a heartfelt tribute to celebrated avant-garde filmmaker Tomonari Nishikawa, a long-time friend of the Festival who passed away in April. In his honour, TIFF will screen his short Ten Mornings Ten Evenings and One Horizon, first presented as a World Premiere at TIFF ’16.
Wavelengths is named after Michael Snow’s iconic 1967 film Wavelength, and draws continued inspiration from the artist’s boundless exploration, experimentation, and innovation across media. The programme is curated by Senior Curator Andréa Picard and Associate Curator Jesse Cumming, with contributions from Jason Anderson and Diana Cadavid.
Wavelengths Features (in alphabetical order):
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions | Kahlil Joseph | USA
Canadian Premiere
Copper (Cobre) | Nicolás Pereda | Canada/Mexico
North American Premiere
Dry Leaf | Alexandre Koberidze | Germany/Georgia
North American Premiere
Levers | Rhayne Vermette | Canada
World Premiere
Magellan (Magalhães) | Lav Diaz | Portugal/Spain/France/Philippines/Taiwan
North American Premiere
Mare’s Nest | Ben Rivers | France/UK/Canada
North American Premiere
The Seasons (As Estações) | Maureen Fazendeiro | Portugal/France/Spain/Austria
North American Premiere
Wavelengths Pairings
With Hasan in Gaza | Kamal Aljafari | Palestine/Germany/France/Qatar
North American Premiere
preceded by
It’s So Beautiful Here | Basma al-Sharif | Palestine
International Premiere
Wavelengths Shorts
Wavelengths 1: Map of Traces
Ten Mornings Ten Evenings and One Horizon | Tomonari Nishikawa | Japan
Rojo Žalia Blau | Viktoria Schmid | Austria
World Premiere
Disappeared | Sohrab Hura | India/Nepal
Canadian Premiere
09/05/1982 | Jorge Caballero, Camilo Restrepo | Mexico/Spain
North American Premiere
Map of Traces (記憶座標) | Chan Hau Chun | Hong Kong
World Premiere
En Traversée | Vadim Kostrov | France
Canadian Premiere
Wavelengths 2: Into the Blue
I Saw the Face of God in the Jet Wash | Mark Jenkin | UK
North American Premiere
From My Cloud (구름으로부터) | Minjung Kim | South Korea
World Premiere
Cairo Streets | Abdellah Taïa | France
North American Premiere
Daria’s Night Flowers (گلهایشب ِدریا) | Maryam Tafakory | France/Iran/UK
North American Premiere
Aftertide | Kaiwen Ren | USA/China
World Premiere
Wavelengths 3: Slightest Pretense
Land of Barbar (بلادالبربر) | Fredj Moussa | Tunisia
World Premiere
Conditio Humana | Friedl vom Gröller | Austria
World Premiere
Slightest Pretense (わずかな見せかけ) | Eri Saito | Japan
World Premiere
CONFERENCE | Björn Kämmerer | Austria
World Premiere
Morgenkreis | Basma al-Sharif | Canada/United Arab Emirates
International Premiere
FELT | Blake Williams | Canada
World Premiere
