50th Toronto film fest to feature hotly anticipated world premieres

Malta’s film buffs have already started counting down the days: the 50th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), running 5–15 September, has just announced its first wave of world premieres, and the line-up is catnip for anyone on the island who lives for the silver screen. From Sean Baker’s buzz-heavy “Anora” to Jacques Audiard’s Spanish-language musical “Emilia Pérez”, the titles heading north are the same ones that will later light up Valletta’s Embassy Cinemas, screen at the Malta Film Commission’s open-air nights in Pjazza Tigné, and fill the Facebook feeds of local cine-clubs.

Why should a Maltese reader care about a festival 8,000 km away? Because TIFF’s choices act like a crystal ball for what Maltese audiences will be queuing to see in December, and—more importantly—for what Maltese crews will be hired to work on next year. The island’s cash rebate, currently capped at 40%, has already lured TIFF veterans like Ridley Scott (“Napoleon”) and Angelina Jolie (“Without Blood”, shot in Gozo last winter). Every premiere at Roy Thomson Hall is effectively a two-hour job advert for Malta’s water-tank, limestone streets, and multilingual extras.

Local producer Emma Galea, fresh from wrapping the Maltese-Canadian co-production “Luzzu 2” (yes, it’s happening), tells me she’ll be on the ground in Toronto pitching a medieval fantasy that needs “unspoiled fortified cities—hello, Mdina!” She’s part of the Malta Film Commission delegation that flies out on 3 September, armed with glossy booklets of Fort St Elmo sunsets and meetings pre-arranged with Netflix scouts who still remember the island from “Game of Thrones”. “If even one of these TIFF titles decides to shoot second-unit here,” Galea says, “that’s 200 hotel rooms booked and a whole summer of local employment.”

The cultural ripple effect is just as potent. Spazju Kreattiv has already pencilled in “possible TIFF hits” for its autumn programme; Café Society in Sliema is planning a TIFF-themed trivia night; and the University of Malta’s film degree has added an extra seminar on “Festival Economics” after last year’s cohort begged for it. Dr Giuliana Fenech, who lectures in festival studies, argues that TIFF’s 50th edition marks a tipping point. “Half a century ago, Toronto created a template for how mid-sized cities could punch above their weight in global culture. Malta’s own film festival turns 30 next year—TIFF shows us what ambition looks like.”

That ambition is visible in the programme’s diversity: Payal Kapadia’s Cannes-laurelled “All We Imagine as Light” sits beside a midnight-madness slasher from Indonesian wunderkind Timo Tjahjanto, while the new restoration of Terence Davies’ “Distant Voices, Still Lives” will make archivists at the Malta Film Archive drool. Maltese audiences have always been polyglots—our cinemas routinely subtitle in English, Italian, and Maltese—so a festival that programmes Hindi, Spanish, and Korean feels tailor-made for us.

Back home, the community impact is tangible. Take 19-year-old Luke Camilleri from Żabbar, one of three Maltese students awarded TIFF’s emerging-critic bursary this year. He’ll be reviewing for the fest’s youth portal and Skyping his notes to the Malta Film Society’s Discord channel at 3 a.m. local time. “Growing up, I watched the TFC open-air screenings in Buskett,” Luke says. “Now I’ll be sitting three rows behind Natalie Portman. That jump feels possible because Malta keeps showing up at TIFF.”

And showing up matters. When the closing-night gala streams live to St George’s Square on 15 September—courtesy of a partnership between TIFF and the Valletta Cultural Agency—hundreds of locals will taste the festival’s glamour without leaving the island. Some will be inspired to pick up a camera; others will simply enjoy the free popcorn. Either way, the 50th TIFF isn’t just a Canadian celebration—it’s Malta’s sneak preview of the stories, stars, and salaries heading our way. Roll credits? More like roll cameras.