By LagosToday
As the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) celebrates its 50th edition this year, the organization is digging into its own archives—not just to reflect, but to narrate its own cinematic story. The initiative, aptly titled “The TIFF Story in 50 Films,” offers a sweeping retrospective that doubles as both a history lesson and a celebration of the thousands of films that have shaped TIFF over the decades.
Curated by TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey, the list of 50 films isn’t just another “greatest hits” compilation. “Lists are ridiculous, of course, but they’re also irresistible,” Bailey admits. Yet behind the irresistible impulse to rank and remember lies a deeper aim: to understand TIFF’s evolving identity through five decades of bold programming, audience connection, and artistic risk.
A Narrative in 50 Frames
Bailey, who began his TIFF journey programming Canadian films in 1990 and eventually rose to lead the organization, approached the curation process as an act of storytelling. “What has driven us? Where have we found success? Who, at the end of all this, are we?” he asks in his curatorial essay. With help from TIFF’s Film Reference Library and decades’ worth of program books, Bailey and his team sifted through thousands of titles. The list was eventually narrowed down based on four key criteria: Quality, Relevance, Significance, and Popularity.
Some choices are no-brainers—Slumdog Millionaire, The Princess Bride, Dead Ringers—while others, like Let Each One Go Where He May or Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, shine a light on TIFF’s commitment to discovery, diversity, and daring.
From Programming Pages to the Big Screen
But TIFF isn’t just releasing a list. They’re giving these films the spotlight once again. Through June to August 2025, TIFF Bell Lightbox will host screenings of all 50 titles, many accompanied by special guests, recorded introductions, or live events.
Highlights from the lineup include:
Boogie Nights projected on 70mm (July 11–13)
The Shawshank Redemption with a live appearance from James and Roger Deakins (June 22)
Next of Kin with Atom Egoyan and Arsinée Khanjian (June 24)
My Winnipeg narrated live by Guy Maddin (July 4)
Water with Deepa Mehta in attendance (August 10)
Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance with Alanis Obomsawin (August 23)
There are outdoor screenings (The Princess Bride in the park), international gems (Memories of Murder, Phoenix), cult classics (Jennifer’s Body, Revenge), and underseen treasures (Maelström, Love in the Time of Hysteria).
Risk and Pleasure: The TIFF Ethos
Bailey reflects on two themes that have defined TIFF’s story: risk and pleasure. Whether it was David Cronenberg’s Dead Ringers opening TIFF in 1988 or Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron doing the honors in 2023, TIFF has always walked a line between artistic ambition and audience embrace.
The Festival is an annual meeting ground of the risks programmers take in selecting films and the risks audiences take in showing up to see them,” Bailey writes. That mutual trust between curators and filmgoers has allowed TIFF to be not just a launchpad for Oscar hopefuls but also a champion of global cinema’s most daring voices.
As TIFF readies for its 50th edition this September, “The TIFF Story in 50 Films” stands as both a tribute and a provocation: a reminder of where we’ve been, and a question of where we’re going.