TIFF Docs 2025 Lineup: New Documentaries from Laura Poitras, Raoul Peck, Gianfranco Rosi, and More Among the Lauded Nonfiction Slate

The Toronto International Film Festival has just announced the lineup for its Docs section, featuring 23 titles from 18 countries and 16 World Premieres.

The section will open with Oscar-winning director Ben Proudfoot’s The Eyes of Ghana, which follows the life and legacy of Ghanaian cinematographer Chris Hesse and is executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama. Other TIFF Docs highlights include Laura Poitras & Mark Obenhaus’ investigative journalism documentary Cover-Up; Lucrecia Martel’s Nuestra Tierra, which investigates the killing of an indigenous leader; Oscar-winners Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin’s Love+War, which profiles war photographer Lynsey Addario; Gianfranco Rosi’s Below the Clouds, capturing a community near Mount Vesuvius; Raoul Peck’s Orwell: 2+2=5; Michèle Stephenson’s True North about student protests against racism in 1969 Montreal; and many more.

The TIFF Docs titles join several documentaries that have already been announced for the festival, including the World Premieres of festival opener John Candy: I Like Me and Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery in the Gala section; Degrassi: Whatever It Takes, EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, and You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution… in Special Presentations; and Palimpsest: the Story of a Name the Centrepiece section.

The 50th Toronto International Film Festival will be held September 4 – 14.

See the full TIFF Docs lineup below.

A Life Illuminated | Tasha Van Zandt | USA
World Premiere

Marine biologist Dr. Edie Widder goes on a journey to the ocean depths hoping to capture the phenomenon of bioluminescence like it’s never been seen on camera before, from director Tasha Van Zandt and the production company behind Fire of Love.

A Simple Soldier | Juan Camilo Cruz, Artem Ryzhykov | Ukraine
North American Premiere

Acclaimed cinematographer Artem Ryzhykov (The Russian Woodpecker) captures his first-person perspective as a soldier in Ukraine’s armed forces in a work layered with complexity, humour, and artistry. Co-directed with Juan Camilo Cruz.

Aki | Darlene Naponse | Canada
World Premiere

Set on Atikameksheng Anishnawbek (formerly known as Whitefish Lake), this visual art documentary follows the seasons in director Darlene Naponse’s home community in Northern Ontario.

Below the Clouds | Gianfranco Rosi | Italy

International Premiere

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi (Fire at Sea) films in gorgeous black-and-white cinematography to immerse us in the community near Mount Vesuvius where the past and present intermingle.

Canceled: The Paula Deen Story | Billy Corben | USA

World Premiere

Filmmaker Billy Corben (Cocaine Cowboys) traces the history of celebrity chef Paula Deen and reconsiders the scandal that exploded her multi-million dollar empire.

Cover-Up | Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus | USA

Canadian Premiere

Renowned investigative reporter Seymour Hersh is profiled by filmmaker Laura Poitras (Citizenfour) and Mark Obenhaus in a fascinating exploration of power and accountability.

Flana | Zahraa Ghandour | Iraq/France/Qatar

World Premiere

Announcing a bold new directorial voice, Zahraa Ghandour’s debut Flana chronicles the unexplained disappearances of Iraqi women.

LOVE+WAR | Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin | USA

World Premiere

Oscar winners Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo, TIFF ’18) turn the camera on Pulitzer Prize–winning photographer Lynsey Addario as she documents the war in Ukraine and looks back on her career.

Modern Whore | Nicole Bazuin | Canada

World Premiere

Andrea Werhun and Nicole Bazuin challenge toxic misconceptions about sex work and sex workers with great audacity and high style.

Ni-Naadamaadiz: Red Power Rising | Shane Belcourt | Canada

World Premiere

Despite it lasting 90 days in 1974, there is only eight minutes of footage about an Indigenous youth-led armed occupation in Kenora, Ontario. The documentary Ni-Naadamaadiz: Red Power Rising tells that story of Indigenous resilience and power.

Nuestra Tierra | Lucrecia Martel | Argentina/USA/Mexico/France/Denmark/Netherlands

North American Premiere

Argentine auteur Lucrecia Martel (Zama, TIFF ’17) makes her first foray into feature documentary filmmaking with this haunting investigation into the killing of an Indigenous community leader and its relationship to the larger, centuries-old story of colonialism and erasure.

Nuns vs. The Vatican | Lorena Luciano | USA

World Premiere

Nuns vs. the Vatican exposes a scandal that’s growing in momentum inside the Catholic Church, from Emmy-winning director Lorena Luciano and executive producer Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU).

Orwell: 2+2=5 | Raoul Peck | USA/France

North American Premiere

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro) takes a deep dive into the writing of George Orwell (1984) to explore its potent relevancy to our current times.

Powwow People | Sky Hopinka | USA

World Premiere

Powwow People is a radically immersive, durational portrait and cinematic celebration of a contemporary powwow by Sky Hopinka, one of the most vital artists working today.

Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk | Sepideh Farsi | France/Palestine/Iran

North American Premiere

Still Single | Jamal Burger, Jukan Tateisi | Canada

World Premiere

Directors Jamal Burger and Jukan Tateisi bring viewers into the unpredictable world of Masaki Saito, Toronto’s sushi superstar.

The Balloonists | John Dower | USA/UK/Austria

World Premiere

Adventurers Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones set out to become the first balloonists to circumnavigate the globe in this white-knuckle, suspenseful documentary.

The Eyes of Ghana | Ben Proudfoot | USA | Opening Film

World Premiere

In this love letter to cinema, we witness Ghanaian cameraman Chris Hesse, now in his 90s, pass on his legacy to the younger filmmaker Anita Afonu, captured by two-time Oscar winner Ben Proudfoot.

The Tale of Silyan | Tamara Kotevska | North Macedonia

North American Premiere

Oscar-nominated director Tamara Kotevska (Honeyland) tells the story of a farmer’s relationship to a white stork, interwoven with the folk tales of North Macedonia.

There Are No Words | Min Sook Lee | Canada

World Premiere

This deeply personal documentary from hometown filmmaker Min Sook Lee follows the trail of grief left behind when her mother died by suicide when she was a preteen.

True North | Michèle Stephenson | USA/Canada

World Premiere

Michèle Stephenson’s moving documentary centres on the 1969 student protests against racism at Montreal’s Concordia University and their contribution to the story of Black liberation.

While the Green Grass Grows: A Diary in Seven Parts | Peter Mettler | Canada/Switzerland

World Premiere

This magnum opus from visionary non-fiction filmmaker Peter Mettler (Gambling, Gods and LSD) is an innovative, intimate, intercontinental epic that embraces coincidence and elevates the film diary to new heights.

Whistle | Christopher Nelius | Australia

World Premiere

At the Masters of Musical Whistling competition, where virtuoso whistlers compete for global supremacy and bragging rights, we follow an array of quirky personalities and dazzling talents in a film sure to be a crowd-pleaser.