First highlights for TIFF.24

The Norwegian film Dreams (Sex Love), directed by Dag Johan Haugerud, won the Golden Bear at the 75th Berlinale in 2025, marking a historic first for Norwegian cinema. “A meditation on love” (Todd Haynes, president of the Berlin jury), Dreams explores the emotional coming-of-age of teenage Johanne, who falls in love with her French teacher. The story is told through a manuscript written by Johanne, later discovered by her mother and grandmother, whose reactions evolve from shock to appreciation for the literary quality of the text. The film is the final part of a trilogy about human emotions and relationships: Sex (2024) – also awarded at Berlin – and Love (2024), which premiered in Venice and won at Göteborg. All three films will screen at TIFF.24.

Jessica Chastain stars in the latest film by Michel Franco, presented this year in the Berlinale competition. Dreams is a provocative drama about power dynamics and social inequality, following a young Mexican dancer who illegally crosses the U.S. border to reunite with his girlfriend, a wealthy, art-loving socialite. His arrival stirs the waters, triggering a cruel chain of events driven by pride, betrayal, and revenge. The Mexican director Michel Franco was part of the TIFF competition jury in 2023.

Hard Truths marks the return, after a six-year break, of British director and screenwriter Mike Leigh. Oscar-nominated for Topsy-Turvy (1999) and Another Year (2010), awarded at Cannes for Naked (1993) and Secrets & Lies (1996), and Golden Lion winner at Venice for Vera Drake (2004), Leigh reunites in Hard Truths with actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste for a contemporary story about depression, anger, and reconciliation. The film follows the relationship between Pansy (Jean-Baptiste), an unhappy and impulsive woman, and her cheerful sister Chantelle (played by Michele Austin). Jean-Baptiste delivers one of the year’s best performances, earning no fewer than 15 acting awards.

A remarkable debut that captivated Venice in 2024, Familiar Touch (USA) subtly explores intergenerational dynamics and latent trauma through the story of a woman (Kathleen Chalfant) facing memory loss and adapting to life in a nursing home. Sarah Friedland impresses with a mature and delicate directorial style, marking a brilliant entry into auteur cinema. Familiar Touch won four trophies at Venice, including Best Director and Best Actress in the Orizzonti section.

Also awarded at Venice 2024 in the Orizzonti section for Best Screenplay, Happy Holidays (Palestine, Germany) is the latest film by Palestinian director Scandar Copti (Oscar-nominated for Ajami) and offers a profound reflection on identity and conflict. In this sophisticated family drama with interwoven stories, personal quests, poor choices, and social pressures generate intense moral dilemmas that test relationships and traditional norms.

A bittersweet comedy about solidarity, music, and personal reinvention, The Marching Band (dir. Emmanuel Courcol, France) tells the story of a famous conductor diagnosed with leukemia who discovers he has a brother just when he needs one most. Though completely different, their meeting sparks a charming adventure set to the music of Charles Aznavour and Ravel’s Bolero. The film premiered at Cannes, won the Audience Award at San Sebastián, and received seven César nominations.

A psychological thriller filled with chilling suspense, Undercover (Spain, 2024) confirms the artistic maturity and powerful feminist voice of director Arantxa Echevarria, known for Carmen y Lola (2018). Inspired by an incredible true case, the film meticulously reconstructs the risky operation of a young female police officer infiltrating the ETA terrorist group, living undercover for seven years. Undercover won two top Goya Awards: Best Film and Best Actress (Carolina Yuste).

When the Light Breaks (2024) is a visual elegy about loss, hope, and the fragile healing process. Icelandic director Rúnar Rúnarsson (awarded at TIFF for Sparrows and Volcano) follows a young woman shortly after a tragedy, capturing the intimacy of grief in an authentic and emotional way. Premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes, the film will be preceded by the short O, also by Rúnarsson, a black-and-white drama about addiction and family rupture that later competed in Venice. Both titles earned him a double victory at Göteborg, where they were named Best Nordic Films of the year.

Marco, the Invented Truth (dir. Aitor Arregi, Jon Garaño, Spain, 2024) tells an unbelievable yet true story about a man who reconstructed his identity through a dangerous mix of lies and self-deception, reinventing himself as a Holocaust survivor. The Basque directors known for their historical and social films present a razor-sharp introspection on how truth can be shaped—sometimes unintentionally—by those seeking meaning in personal chaos. Premiered in the Orizzonti competition at Venice, the film won two Goya Awards, including Best Actor (Eduard Fernández).

Waves (dir. Jiří Mádl, Czech Republic), winner of the Audience Award at Karlovy Vary 2024, is an epic drama with the pace of a political thriller, set during Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution. A local box office champion (second most-viewed film of all time) and Czech submission for the Oscars, Waves is an ode to press freedom inspired by the heroism of journalists from Prague’s international radio channel, who risked their lives to report the truth during the Soviet invasion of 1968.

The Things You Kill (dir. Alireza Khatami, France, 2025) is a Lynchian story of revenge and the dark labyrinth of the human soul. Haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother, a university professor enlists his enigmatic gardener to commit a cold-blooded act of revenge. The film premiered at Sundance, where it won Best Director.

Maldoror (dir. Fabrice Du Welz, Belgium, 2024) is a tense thriller inspired by the Dutroux case, named after the infamous Belgian serial killer from the 1990s. Assigned to investigate the disappearance of two girls, an idealistic and impulsive young detective becomes obsessed with solving the case on his own after the mission fails due to judicial system dysfunctions. The film has been compared to David Fincher’s Zodiac and premiered at Venice.