In Spite of Ourselves- how do opposites connect?

Romantic Comedy | 97 minutes | color | USA | English

 Written and Directed by JOSH LOEB

Starring BRETT DIER, CONOR LESLIE, MO MANDEL, ALYSSA LIMPERIS, BRITIAN SEIBERT, ZORA CASEBERE, ETHAN INGLE, and GLENN MORSHOWER

 

Producers JOSH LOEB, MICHELLE LEWITT, GABE MAYHAN, and TIM HARMS

Executive Producers SHIRLEY LOEB

Cinematography by GABE MAYHAN

Hannah (Conor Leslie), a talented baker in Portland, Oregon, goes about her daily life working alongside her egotistical chef partner and sharing an apartment with two party‑loving roommates. She often misses out on parts of life because she can’t hear out of one ear. Professionally, she excels in her craft—but her personal life is far less put together.

One day, LA comedian Archie (Brett Dier) visits Portland and stumbles upon her irresistible cinnamon buns—and Hannah’s quirky charm. Archie is on the rise, with a comedy special on the horizon, but he struggles with commitment because of his demanding career and his responsibility to care for his father.

Their chemistry is instant, but their lifestyles couldn’t be more mismatched: Hannah wakes up at 3 a.m. to start baking, while Archie finishes his shows in the middle of the night. Time and distance quickly become their biggest obstacles.

Archie keeps returning—partly for the baked goods, mostly for Hannah. They clearly like each other, but their relationship becomes a series of mixed messages, missed moments, and stop‑and‑starts.

Life keeps getting in the way. Hannah must confront her hearing issues, while Archie juggles his travel schedule and the decline of his father’s health. Both are scared to commit under such complicated circumstances. But when Hannah needs help after surgery, Archie steps up and takes care of her.

The film leaves you wondering whether their relationship can survive once life returns to normal.

This film is funny, heartwarming, and messy—in all the ways real life can be.

 Trailer Link: https://youtu.be/gDCfg8Z5QHY?si=HQg4CBjRjkCiN313

See the film at these festivals before it's released.

 

Official Selection

2026 Cinequest Film Festival – World Premiere

2026 Filmland

2026 Heartland Film Festival

2026 Portland Film Festival

2026 Mystic Film Festival

 

Tiff's People's Choice Awards 2026

TIFF 2026 Awards

1. People’s Choice Award presented by Rogers: La Bola Negra, dirs. Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi

   First runner-up: I Play Rocky, dir. Peter Farrelly

   Second runner-up: Being Heumann, dir. Siân Heder

   
   

   International People’s Choice Award presented by Rogers: Elsinore, dir. Simon Stone  

   First runner-up: Possible Love, dir. Lee Chang-dong

   Second runner-up: The Assassin(s), dir. Hur Jin-ho

   
   

   People’s Choice Documentary Award presented by Rogers: Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been, dir. Barry Avrich 

   First runner-up: Black Sunflowers, dir. James Marcus Haney

   Second runner-up: The Ultra Runner dir. Mila Aung-Thwin

   
   

   People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award presented by Rogers: Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney, dir. Matthew Rankin 

   First runner-up: The Spiral, dir. Paolo Strippoli

   Second runner-up: Arrested Memory, dir. SABU

   
   

   PLATFORM PRIZE

   
   

   Launched in 2015 and inspired by Jia Zhang-ke’s groundbreaking film, TIFF’s Platform Prize honours filmmakers with strong directorial vision and distinctive storytelling. All films in the programme are eligible for the prize. TIFF’s Platform Prize is one of only six international festival awards with a direct pathway to the Oscars. Building on this newly established status, the 2026 Platform programme expanded to 12 films, with an international five-member jury selecting the winner of the $20,000 CAD prize. This year’s jury was led by President Pablo Trapero, alongside Amma Asante, Sylvia Chang, Luc Déry, and Albert Lee.

   
   

   Platform Prize:

   Angh, dir. Theja Rio | India

   
   

   Platform jury’s statement: “The Platform Prize goes to Angh. For its refreshing perspective, strength of filmmaking, and deeply resonant portrait of a world. We praise the filmmaker’s vision, audacity and courage.”

   
   

   Special Jury Award:

   Brace Your Heart (Garrat Du Váimmu), dir. Amanda Kernell | Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Bulgaria

   
   

I didn't get to see too many of these films this year, but I'm super happy to see Darlene Love: I know where I've been winning for PCA Documentary.  Congrats to my friend,  Producer Mark Selby, on a spectacular Documentary.

I just posted a review on Thirteen in Gaza, a film that will stick with you every time you see reports about the war in GAZA.

I was at TIFF for the Red Carpet for Smudge the Blades, and I can tell you that the cast was just super excited to be there, so I'm sure there will be a big party for them tonight.  

Smudge the Blades

Angh

Thirteen in Gaza- A teen's worst nightmare

 

Thirteen in Gaza

2026 - 1h 17m Language: Arabic 

Country: Palestine

World Premiere at TIFF-Toronto International Film Festival

*NETPAC AWARD WINNER 2026

Director

Hosam Abu Dan

Writer

Khalil al Mozian

Stars

    Nawaf Abu Amra

                                                            Feras Al Masri 

                                                            Ghassan Salem

This is Palestinian director Hosam Abu Dan’s first feature film, shot entirely inside the Gaza Strip with a fully Palestinian crew. And honestly, it couldn’t have been made anywhere else. The landscape itself becomes a character—its danger, its exhaustion, its quiet desperation woven into every frame. Filming it elsewhere would have stripped the story of its truth.

The film follows Raghad (Mary Ziyara), a 13‑year‑old girl who has lost her home and most of her family after an airstrike during the Gaza war. She and her father (Feras Al Masri) are forced into a displacement camp, where life becomes a daily negotiation of survival. For a teenage girl, this new reality is a nightmare: sharing a tent with her father, learning to bake bread over open flames, hauling water, and navigating puberty without a mother to guide her.

Her father, gentle and devoted, tries desperately to protect her and preserve some sense of normalcy. But desperation pushes people toward impossible choices. He takes on a dangerous opportunity he believes will help his daughter—only for it to unravel with devastating consequences.

Dialogue is sparse, but the film speaks volumes through Raghad’s eyes and her father’s weary silence. Their performances are subtle, expressive, and heartbreakingly real. Abu Dan’s choice to film inside actual encampments lays bare the collateral damage of war—what greed, politics, and power do to ordinary people who never asked to be part of any conflict.

If this isn’t a film that shows why wars must end, I don’t know what is. The ones who pay the highest price are always the young, the elderly, the vulnerable, and the poor—while those who profit from conflict remain untouched, growing richer off the suffering of others.

This film is a quiet, devastating reminder of who war really destroys.

I am Mario- when gender identity gets complicated

 

I AM MARIO

Writer/Director: Sharon Kleinberg

Stars: Hector Kotsifakis, Mayra Batalla, Mercedes Hernández

2026 Release

Running Time: 1 hr 33 min

Mario (Héctor Kotsifakis) is a 40‑year‑old trans taxi driver—masculine and deeply rooted in the culture of late‑night drinks and smoke‑filled conversations with his fellow drivers. On the surface, he’s confident and clear in his identity. 

But one night, after too much drinking, an unexpected encounter leads to an even more unexpected pregnancy.

What follows is a profound crisis of identity and desire. Mario must confront a choice he never imagined: continue with hormone therapy or carry the baby. At the same time, he’s just begun a meaningful relationship with a woman he genuinely cares for, forcing him to weigh the future he envisioned against the possibility of becoming a parent—something he loves in theory but never believed was possible for himself.

The film navigates the emotional and psychological complexity of this moment with honesty and tenderness. It’s a story about identity, bodily autonomy, love, and the impossible choices life sometimes throws at us. Mario’s journey reveals the deeply personal challenges of transitioning, not just physically but emotionally. It shows how the process can collide with relationships, dreams, and the unexpected realities of being human.

I found this story compelling. It offers an intimate look at the layers of the transgender experience. Life can get messy and painfully complicated. It’s a film that stays with you, inviting reflection and a deeper understanding of what it means to choose to transition to a different gender.

The Film Premiered at TIFF- Toronto International Film Festival.

Theatrical release information is not available at this time.

The Age of Goodbyes - breaking family curses

 THE AGE OF GOODBYES 

Director

Edmund Yeo

Cast

Vivian Sung

Stanley Yau

Troy Liu

Lixuan Siow

WORLD PREMIERE at TIFF 2026 - Toronto International Film Festival

Taiwan, Malaysia | 2026 | 142m | Mandarin, Cantonese, Malay, Thai, English

Vivian Sung shines as the enigmatic Du Li An in Edmund Yeo’s adaptation of Li Zi Shu’s award‑winning novel The Age of Goodbyes—a film that explores how family stories bend, blur, and reshape themselves over time. Memories fade, details shift, and what we call “truth” becomes something inherited rather than remembered.

The narrative is challenging, weaving between timelines and perspectives. We follow Kai (Troy Liu), a young boy who discovers a novel titled The Age of Goodbyes. It begins on page 513—a symbolic nod to May 13, 1969, one of the most pivotal and painful dates in Malaysian history. As Kai reads, he becomes absorbed in Du Li An’s world, slipping between fiction, memory, and the echoes of a nation’s past.

In 1969 Ipoh, Du Li An falls in love with Lin Sang (Stanley Yau), a man convinced he cannot be with her because of a family curse: the men disappear before turning thirty. When Lin Sang is forced to leave, Du Li An must rebuild her life. Years later, Mong Sang (also played by Yau) appears—Lin Sang’s twin brother—and she is pulled back into a love she never fully let go of. As Kai continues reading, he becomes entangled in the novel’s shifting histories, discovering how stories passed down through generations can transform like broken telephone.

The film is dense, layered, and rich with cultural and historical references. For viewers unfamiliar with Malaysian history—like me, a Canadian watching this with fresh eyes—the timeline jumps can feel disorienting. Honestly, this is a film you may want to watch twice to fully appreciate the connections and the emotional architecture beneath its structure.

But once you settle into its rhythm, The Age of Goodbyes reveals itself as a beautifully crafted story on memory, duty, family lineage, and the ache of a great love that never dies. The production design is lush and transportive; you feel immersed in each era. The casting is impeccable, especially Vivian Sung’s grounded, luminous performance.

This is the kind of international film that deserves attention in North America—subtitles or not. Every so often, a film like this finds the right champions and gains momentum during awards season. I truly hope this becomes one of those discoveries.

Even without prior knowledge of Malaysian culture or history, I found The Age of Goodbyes deeply moving, visually stunning, and worth revisiting. It’s a complex, rewarding experience that lingers long after the credits roll.

https://www.tiff.net/films/the-age-of-goodbyes

SCREENINGS

Friday, September 18

Scotiabank Theatre / 5:15 pm / Public Screening

and

Saturday, September 19

Scotiabank Theatre / 3:45 pm / Public Screening

Theatrical or Streaming release date unknown at this time.

Infinitely Dense- a dark AR trip

 

INFINITELY DENSE 

Written and directed by Ace Thor

Stars: Glen Steele, Sam Myerson, London Thor, Kaitlyn Benson, Jaydon Walker, Nova Gaver, and Tim Torre. 

English, United States, Thriller

Running time: 119 minutes 

Premiering at the TIFF- Toronto International Film Festival Market

Tom (Glen Steele) is a recently divorced, deeply broken man. He was an artist and is now retired. After his wife leaves and his child is no longer in his life, he is left alone in a large, stunning house close to the California coast. He appears to have everything he needs, but he doesn't have a full and complete life. He just lives in solitude with nothing to do and no one to connect with. The silence is deafening. In his loneliness, he thinks the solution to his problems is to get an augmented-reality chip implanted in his neck so he can command anything he desires.

Doesn't everyone wish they could just command anything they want?

His first command is simple: asking for an apple, pretty harmless.

Then he asks for what he really wants and thinks he needs is a woman to talk to. Of course that escalates to more carnal desires. Then he has multiple artificial reality relationships.

Soon his dark past surfaces and takes over, and he becomes delusional.

It looks as if he is having an ayahuasca experience, but the deepest, darkest experiences.

His subconscious takes over, and it becomes harder to know what's real and what isn't.

This is a slow-paced freefall into the depths of madness. Once you reach the bottom of the barrel of despair, how do you escape?

This film makes you wonder how much tech is good for our psyche.

 

To view the trailer, go to: https://vimeo.com/1214889263?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

For more information, go to: http://infinitelydense.com/

 

Social Media:

@infinitelydense

Star spotting at TIFF 2026

 

Everyone asks me every year which celebrities are coming to the festival or which celebrities I have seen.

I see a lot each year, volunteering or seeing Q&As at films.  TIFF publishes a list of their attending guests.  I condensed it to a list of more well-known global celebrities.

This is only a partial list of the 800 guests coming to this year's Toronto International Film Festival

I have organized this list in alphabetical order.  So, for a challenge lets see how many you spot over the 11 days of the festival.

I know for sure I will be seeing Sir Gary Oldman at his Visionaries talk.

Celebrities attending TIFF 2026

1. Alex Lifeson 
2. Amanda Seyfried
3. Andrew Scott
4. Anna Kendrick
5. Annie Murphy
6. Ayo Edebiri
7. Carrie-Anne Moss
8. Channing Tatum
9. Chase Infiniti,
10. Chris Rock
11. Chrissie Hynde
12. Courteney Cox
13. Cynthia Erivo
14. Daniel Kaluuya 
15. Dianne Wiest
16. Diego Luna
17. Forest Whitaker 
18. Gael García Bernal
19. Geddy Lee
20. Helen Mirren
21. Hudson Williams
22. Issa Rae
23. J. K. Simmons
24. James McAvoy
25. Javier Bardem
26. Jennifer Coolidge
27. Jesse Eisenberg
28. John Malkovich
29. John Turturro
30. Josh Hartnett
31. Julianne Moore
32. Kate Mara
33. Kenneth Branagh 
34. Lalisa Manobal (Lisa)
35. Laura Linney
36. Liam Neeson
37. Lily James
38. Lily-Rose Depp
39. Luke Evans
40. Mahershala Ali
41. Margaret Qualley
42. Martin Freeman
43. Michael Imperioli
44. Michelle Yeoh
45. Naomi Watts
46. Patrick Schwarzenegger
47. Paul Giamatti
48. Penélope Cruz 
49. Rami Malek
50. Randall Park
51. Rebel Wilson
52. Rhys Ifans
53. Riley Keough
54. Rooney Mara
55. Sebastian Stan
56. Seth Rogen 
57. Sir Gary Oldman 
58. Taraji P. Henson
59. Taron Egerton
60. Tom Hiddleston
61. Willem Dafoe
62. Zooey Deschanel

Dear You-generations of a secret life

  

DEAR YOU 

Release date: Friday, September 4. 

2026 | 118 minutes | China | Teochew, Mandarin Chinese, and Thai w/ English Subtitles | Color | PG-13

A film by Lan Hongchun

 

Starring

Li Sitong, Wang Yantong, Wu Shaoqing, Zheng Runqi, Wang Xiaohui

Special Apperance

Zhao Shuguang, Li Deru, Li Shuhao,  
Seamkhum Usha

ABOUT DIRECTOR LAN HONGCHUN Lan Hongchun was born in Shantou, Guangdong Province. He is a Chinese film director, screenwriter, and editing supervisor.  In 2026, DEAR YOU was released. The film achieved an impressive 9.3 rating from 890,000 users on Douban, and its box office gross exceeded 1.9 billion RMB.

• Made without established stars, DEAR YOU became an unexpected theatrical success in China, earning nearly $300 million. 

DEAR YOU follows a family forced to confront a long‑buried secret shaped by generations of migration. Stretching across time and continents, the film transforms letters, memory, and distance into an intimate portrait of the people who hold a family together even when home has been fractured by borders—and the past refuses to stay silent.

A debt‑strapped grandson travels to Thailand in search of the grandfather he believes abandoned their family, hoping the man behind years of qiaopi letters and remittances can help him out of his financial crisis. Instead, he uncovers a lifetime of sacrifice and devotion—an act of love that became a family secret for decades.

Deep healing finally begins when his grandmother returns to Thailand to face the woman she once believed had lived the life meant for her. What starts as a mystery to uncover becomes a moment of unexpected connection—two women bound by the same history, the same sacrifice, and the same longing for a home they both lost in different ways.

Rooted in Chinese traditions, DEAR YOU strikes a deep emotional chord with families who connect to the sacrifices of migration, fractured families, and devotion across impossible distances, building to a powerful revelation—showing how love can survive borders, silence, and time itself.

This film is beautifully filmed, and the story is interesting and based on true-life stories.  The acting of this unknown cast is impeccable. This film draws you into a world you will never know.

Trailer Link:

Dear You

The Sun Never Sets - A complicated love triangle

 

THE SUN NEVER SETS

Release Date:

Friday, September 04, 2026

Language: English

Mongrel Media

Running Time: 102

Year: 2026

THE SUN NEVER SETS stars Dakota Fanning, Jake Johnson, and Cory Michael Smith in a quietly strange love triangle about the ways love is confusing and frustrating and sometimes forces us to confront the things we’ve been avoiding.

Wendy (Fanning) thinks her life is on the right track. She’s settled into a comfortable rhythm with Jack (Johnson), an older man with kids and a past he’s already lived. But when Jack suggests they take a short break—so she can be sure she’s ready to commit to him and let go of her hopes for marriage and children—it forces her to confront what she truly wants. Suddenly she’s torn between two futures: the spontaneous, unpredictable life that excites her, and the steady, committed one she’s been building. Now she has to make a choice before the moment slips away.

She goes on a random date and ends up in a local bar—where Chuck (Smith), the ex, suddenly reappears and instantly ignites the lighter, reckless side of Wendy she’s been trying to quiet. He’s spontaneous, charming, and now claims he’s finally ready to start a family of his own. The timing couldn’t be worse. His return doesn’t just stir old feelings; it destabilizes everything she thought she’d made peace with. In a single moment, Wendy is yanked between two versions of her life: the one she’s been trying to commit to, and the one she’s terrified she still wants.

Set against the glorious beauty of Anchorage, Alaska, THE SUN NEVER SETS is both intimate and chaotic, emotional and very cinematic. It's a fork-in-the-road story that forces you to pick the road you are turning toward.

It’s about trying to shape a future for yourself even when you’re unsure of what you want, and choosing between different paths when you want both.

Trailer Link: https://youtu.be/0xEJvZuR3dM?si=7ijxibZvzvjP-U4O