23 Documentaries, Including 16 World Premieres, Highlight Diverse Stories and Visionary Filmmakers
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has announced its 2025 Docs programme, presented by A&E IndieFilms, showcasing 23 compelling documentaries from 18 countries, including 16 World Premieres. Running from September 4–14, 2025, as part of TIFF’s 50th edition, the lineup features bold non-fiction storytelling from acclaimed directors like Jimmy Chin, Billy Corben, Tamara Kotevska, Lucrecia Martel, Raoul Peck, Laura Poitras, and Ben Proudfoot. Audiences will dive into diverse narratives, from ocean explorers and champion whistlers to activists and soldiers, reflecting a vibrant global perspective.
Opening the programme is The Eyes of Ghana, a World Premiere by Academy Award-winning Canadian director Ben Proudfoot, which profiles filmmaker Chris Hesse and is backed by executive producers Barack and Michelle Obama. Other standout World Premieres include The Balloonists by John Dower, chronicling adventurers circling the globe in a balloon; A Life Illuminated by Tasha Van Zandt, following marine biologist Dr. Edie Widder’s deep-sea journey; Whistle by Christopher Nelius, exploring a competition of champion whistlers; Nuns vs. the Vatican by Lorena Luciano, exposing allegations of abuse within the Catholic Church with executive producer Mariska Hargitay; Canceled: The Paula Deen Story by Billy Corben, revisiting the celebrity chef’s scandal; and Modern Whore by Canadian Nicole Bazuin, delving into the sex industry based on the book by Andrea Werhun and Bazuin.
The Canadian contingent shines with World Premieres like Still Single by Jamal Burger and Jukan Tateisi, Aki by Darlene Naponse, Ni-Naadaamaadiz: Red Power Rising by Shane Belcourt, There Are No Words by Min Sook Lee, and While the Green Grass Grows: A Diary in Seven Parts by Peter Mettler. Additional highlights include LOVE+WAR by Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, True North by Michele Stephenson, Powwow People by Sky Hopinka, and Fiana by Zahraa Ghandour. North American Premieres like Nuestra Tierra by Lucrecia Martel and Orwell: 2+2=5 by Raoul Peck further elevate the slate.
These titles join previously announced TIFF 50 documentaries, including John Candy: I Like Me and Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery in the Gala programme, and Palimpsest: The Story of a Name in the Centrepiece programme. TIFF Docs, presented by A&E IndieFilms, continues to champion non-fiction cinema that challenges and inspires.