The documentary John Candy: I Like Me directed by Colin Hanks will world premiere as the Opening Night Gala of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. The documentary produced by Ryan Reynolds, is described as a heartfelt tribute to the legendary Canadian icon, with stories and memories from Candy’s family, closest friends, and longtime collaborators. The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival will take place September 4–14, 2025.
The 59th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival taking place July 4 – 12, 2025 has unveiled the official selection and jury. The festival announced only 11 of the 12 films in the Crystal Globe Competition, with the remaining one from Iran – for the safety of the filmmakers, it has been decided to postpone the announcement until closer to the festival.
Italian director Paolo Sorrentino will be honored at the 31st Sarajevo Film Festival with the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo award for “his outstanding contribution to the art of cinema”. The festival will also present a complete retrospective of his films as part of the “Tribute to” program; and Sorrentino will hold a Masterclass and share his thoughts on contemporary art in a conversation with the audience. The festival will be held from August 15th to 22nd, 2025.
Emma Thompson will be honored with the Leopard Club Award at the 78th Locarno Film Festival, where she will also world premiere her latest film, the action-thriller The Dead of Winter directed by Brian Kirk. The festival will take place from August 6 – 16, 2025.
The 11th Bentonville Film Festival, set for June 16-22 in Bentonville, Arkansas announced their Juneteenth and Spotlight films, jurors, Shaping the Narrative, Geena & Friends participants, along with additional panels and events
Uruguayan filmmaker Lucía Garibaldi’s second feature film, A Bright Future (Un futuro brillante) will have its world premiere in the Viewpoints section of the 2025 Tribeca Festival, running June 4 – 14 in New York City.
The 51st Seattle International Film Festival wrapped with presentation of prizes to the winners of the 2025 Juried Competition Awards & Golden Space Needle Audience Awards – with top prizes going to Seeds, Tinā, Twinless, Come See Me in the Good Light, Suburban Fury, Deaf, and The Crowd.
The revenge thriller It Was Just an Accident directed by Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has won the Palme D’or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
Year of the Cat directed by Tony Nguyen walked away with the Audience Award at the 43rd CAAMFest.
Dances With Films: LA has announced the film lineup for its 28th edition of the Los Angeles’ indie film-focused film festival taking place June 19-29, 2025. This year’s lineup includes 254 films, including 43 narrative features, 18 documentary features, 23 television and streaming pilots, and 170 short films.
The Tribeca Festival taking place June 4 –15 in New York City unveiled its star-studded 2025 jury responsible for selecting the winners in the film, games, and audio storytelling sections.
Director Christopher M. Anthony’s debut feature, the boxing drama Heavyweight will make its World Premiere as the opening feature at the 33rd Raindance Film Festival on June 18th.