Chandler Levack’s Netflix comedy Roommates, starring Sarah Sherman, Natasha Lyonne, Nick Kroll, Sadie Sandler, and Storm Reid, is among the titles set for this year’s TIFF Next Wave Film Festival, which will run from April 16–19. Scroll down for the full lineup.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of the TIFF Next Wave Film Festival. The event is programmed by TIFF’s Next Wave Committee, a collection of 12 teens from across the Greater Toronto Area.
Industry professionals who have come through the festival as either filmmakers, writers, or curators include director Emma Seligman (Shiva Baby), actors Iman Vellani (Ms. Marvel) and Emma Cheuk (Late Bloomer), and programmer and critic Winnie Wang (The Toronto Review).
TIFF Next Wave Committee 2025-2026 from L to R, F to B: Sally Shen, Presley Flores-Holz, Maya Satkunaratnam, Yehia El-Aboudy, Lillie Fauteux, Hana Nour-Eldin, Desmond Cudmore, Nikhil Gupta, Suhana Khatri, Sophia Pollard, Darania Taylor. Not pictured: Hamza Hashim. Photo Credit: TIFF.
Levack directs Roommates from a screenplay penned by Jimmy Fowlie and Ceara O’Sullivan of SNL. The film follows hopeful, naive college freshman Devon, who asks the cool and confident Celeste to be her roommate. Their blossoming friendship soon spirals into a war of passive aggression.
Adam Sandler produced the feature for Netflix through his Happy Madison Productions alongside Tim Herlihy. The cast is rounded out by Chloe East, Billy Bryk, Martin Herlihy, Josh Segarra, Carol Kane, Janeane Garofalo, Aidan Langford, Bella Murphy, Jaya Harper, Ivy Wolk, and Bailee Madison.
“This year’s Next Wave Film Festival lineup emphasizes self-expression through passionate, diverse, and DIY modes of storytelling and provides a platform for rising voices who thoughtfully disrupt conventions and embrace experimentation,” the Committee said in a statement.
“We want the festival to be a place for the celebration of life in motion and the chaos that comes with growing up in this current moment. There is something for everyone at Next Wave, and we can’t wait for it to bring new opportunities for conversation, connection, and discovery.”
2026 Next Wave Film Festival Official Selection Films:
★ Big Girls Don’t Cry | dir. Paloma Schneideman | New Zealand
Canadian Premiere
In the ambiently homophobic environment of a rural town in the mid-2000s, a 14-year-old girl navigates sexual curiosity and a desire for acceptance over one transformative summer.
Virtual Q&A with director Paloma Schneideman
★ Burn | dir. Makoto Nagahisa | Japan
Canadian Premiere
A runaway teen (Nana Mori of Kokuho, TIFF ‘25) finds comfort and solace in a group of
other young misfits. But she soon discovers that danger can lurk even in what looks like a safe haven.
★ CAMP | dir. Avalon Fast | Canada
Toronto Premiere
A group of counsellors at a Christian grief camp find catharsis through the occult — but
not without consequence.
In-person Q&A with director Avalon Fast
★ If I Go Will They Miss Me | dir. Walter Thompson-Hernández | USA
Canadian Premiere
A 12-year-old who’s struggling to connect with the father he idolizes starts seeing ghostly figures of boys around his neighbourhood.
★ Ish | dir. Imran Perretta | United Kingdom
Toronto Premiere
A childhood friendship is torn apart after a traumatic interaction with the police in this
poetic and poignant drama.
★ Isle Child | dir. Thomas Percy Kim | South Korea/USA
Canadian Premiere
An adopted New England teen, played by Ethan Hwang (Riceboy Sleeps, TIFF ‘22), is
forced to confront his feelings of otherness when he discovers his Korean birth mother
is terminally ill.
In-person Q&A with director Thomas Percy Kim
★ Niñxs | dir. Kani Lapuerta | Mexico/Germany
Toronto Premiere
Shot over eight years in the small town of Tepoztlán, Mexico, this vibrant documentary
follows Karla through an adolescence marked by joy, resilience, and transition.
★ Our Hero, Balthazar | dir. Oscar Boyson | USA
Toronto Premiere
In a misguided attempt to impress a crush, a lonely New York teen flies to Texas, where he thinks he can stop a future school shooter — but his plan quickly spirals out of control.
In-person Q&A with director Oscar Boyson and actor Jaeden Martell
★ Thanks for Nothing | dir. Stella Marie Markert | Germany
Canadian Premiere
Four teens living in a Berlin group home have created their own anarchic utopia. But the unhelpful adults in their lives, combined with the harsh realities of the world, threaten to tear it apart.
In-person Q&A with Director Stella Marie Markert
