TIFF's Indie Film Watchlist 2026
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The Toronto International Film Festival returns from September 10–20, 2026 for audiences looking beyond major studio productions, TIFF has programs that provide opportunities to find distinctive stories, fresh perspectives, and filmmakers to watch. Below are some indie films to keep on your watchlist!
STRONG SON
STRONG SON
A former South Asian bodybuilder moves back in with his aging father to become his primary caregiver, forcing him to balance the physical strength that once defined him with the mental and emotional challenges of caring for the man who raised him.
DIRECTOR: IAN BAWA
WORLD PREMIERE | 92m | DISCOVERY
“A film that challenges the idea that strength means never showing weakness.”
Strong Son is a quiet yet moving family drama about a complicated relationship between a father and son. The story is pretty simple, but the performances by Mandeep Sodhi and Amrit Parbhakar give it a lot of heart.
The film follows Harvey, a South Asian bodybuilder who returns home to care for his aging father. On the surface, Harvey seems like the picture of physical strength, but the more time he spends with his father, the more the film starts to question what strength actually means. The contrast between Harvey’s physical presence and his emotional restraint becomes one of the movie’s most interesting ideas.
It has a gentle pace, but I liked how understated it was. It doesn’t force the emotions or spell everything out, and some of the quieter moments end up being the most effective. A thoughtful, intimate film that has more going on beneath the surface than you might expect.
SEVENTEEN
SEVENTEEN
Set over the course of seventeen hours, the lives of three young, queer, Indigenous sex workers intersect through chance, relation, and the shared experience of familial and colonial displacement.
DIRECTOR: JUSTIN DUCHARME
WORLD PREMIERE | 88m | DISCOVERY & TIFF NEXT WAVE SELECTS
“Family is simply the people who show up.”
Justin Ducharme’s Seventeen packs a lot into one chaotic day. Set in Vancouver, the film follows Tamara, Aiden and December, three young queer Indigenous people who cross paths while each tries to deal with their own mess; money, housing, family and immigration.
However, they’re not defined by their struggles, and the film gives them plenty of room to joke, flirt, argue and simply hang out. The performances have an easy, natural quality, and the chemistry between the leads makes their growing connection believable.
There’s some roughness to the filmmaking, and a few of the story beats feel predictable but Ducharme makes up for it with warmth and genuine affection for his characters. The film’s strongest point is that family isn’t always the one you’re born into; sometimes it’s the people who show up when you need them.
Seventeen is gritty without being bleak and emotional without laying it on too thick. It’s a small, honest film about finding your people when life is anything but easy.
SMUDGE THE BLADES
SMUDGE THE BLADES
Treaty 6 Blades, an under-18 hockey team from an Alberta reservation, face their last season together while navigating their tough northern league.
DIRECTOR: CODY LIGHTNING
WORLD PREMIERE | 102m | CENTREPIECE
“Hockey is never really just about hockey.”
Smudge the Blades is a fun, heartfelt hockey movie that’s about way more than just winning games. After an Indigenous U18 team gets kicked out of the Edmonton City League, they end up in a rough rural league with Willie, a chaotic Zamboni driver who somehow becomes their coach.
Cody Lightning (Hey, Viktor!, TIFF 2023) is great as Willie, bringing plenty of humor while still giving the character some real heart. The young players, many of them real hockey players, also give the movie a natural, lived-in feel.
There’s lots of rough hockey, funny moments, and locker-room chaos, but the movie also touches on racism, family struggles, and the challenges facing kids growing up on the reserve. At its heart, it’s really about the team learning to look out for each other and finding something to believe in. A messy, funny, and genuinely touching sports movie.
VOICES
VOICES
When a rising soul duo overdose just hours before their big break, a desperate bellhop and his closest friends seize the chance of a lifetime, only to discover that the price of fame is blood.
DIRECTOR: DEANTÈ GRAY
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE | 99m | DISCOVERY
“A chaotic Motown musical about finding your voice before you lose it.”
Voices is an ambitious musical that mixes the energy of 1960s Motown with a much darker story about the price of chasing fame.
It follows a young singer named Jordan (Francis Edemobi) working as a hotel bellhop who dreams of becoming a soul star. When an unexpected opportunity puts him and his closest friends within reach of the music industry, they make a reckless choice that quickly turns their shot at success into something much more dangerous. What starts as a story about making it in the music business gradually becomes a tense exploration of how far people are willing to go when fame finally seems within reach.
The music is easily one of the film’s biggest strengths. With an entirely original soundtrack inspired by the Motown era, they’re each woven into the story in order to help give the film its identity. There’s a real sense of passion behind the musical performances, particularly from the young cast, including Ezekiel Ajeigbe and Raèl Ba.
The movie has a low-budget feel, but there’s something charming about how much passion is behind it. The story does get a little messy at times, and the editing can be uneven as the thriller elements kick in, but there’s enough creativity here to keep things interesting.
Not perfect, but definitely an ambitious and entertaining debut that feels full of potential. At its core, Voices is about finding your voice while trying not to lose yourself in the process.
