Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2025 returns October 15–19, 2025. The event runs five nights at Scotiabank Theatre in downtown Toronto. Expect fresh horror, thriller, and sci-fi features plus shorts. Crowds pack the rooms. Filmmakers join for Q&As. Energy stays high from first screening to last.
What is Toronto After Dark? (quick background)
The festival launched in 2006. Since then, it has grown into a trusted showcase for genre film. Each year, fans discover indies, imports, and cult surprises. Reviewers show up. So do industry scouts. As a result, buzz builds fast, and some films land wider releases.
2025 at a glance
- Dates: October 15–19, 2025 (five nights)
- Venue: Scotiabank Theatre Toronto (259 Richmond St W, downtown)
- What to expect: New features and shorts spanning horror, thriller, sci-fi, with packed audiences, filmmaker Q&As, and a community vibe that’s become the fest’s signature.
Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2025: Dates, venue & vibe
After a one-year pause, the festival roars back for its 18th edition with a compact, weeknight-friendly format that concentrates premieres and Q&As into five intense evenings. Organizers encourage fans to bookmark the About & Key Info hub and the festival’s homepage for lineup drops, passes, and scheduling news as October approaches.
Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2025: Dates, venue & vibe
This year’s format is compact. Consequently, you can catch multiple premieres on weeknights. Arrive early, grab a seat, and soak up the lobby chatter. Between screenings, you’ll trade picks, swap theories, and meet other fans. The mood is welcoming, loud, and fun.
Planning your night at Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2025
- Watch for lineup announcements: Titles, shorts packages, and special events typically roll out closer to the festival; keep an eye on the official site and socials.
- Consider a pass: If you love deep cuts, a pass is often the best way to catch multiple premieres and maximize Q&As. (Details TBA via the official channels.)
- Arrive early: Screenings often have energetic crowds; extra time helps for seating, merch, and snacks. (The lobby chat is half the fun.)
- Make it social: Many fans plan meetups and post-screening hangs nearby—perfect for instant debriefs and top-pick debates.
For filmmakers: why submit (or attend)?
The festival regularly hosts press and industry reps and touts hundreds of published reviews across editions, useful momentum for independent campaigns. It’s also a networking-rich environment: shorts programmers, feature programmers, and alumni often mingle with audiences throughout the week. Keep an eye on the FilmFreeway portal for rules, windows, and festival updates.
Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2025: How it fits in the city’s fall calendar
Toronto’s October is stacked with spooky walking tours, Halloween pop-ups, and genre-friendly happenings. If you’re planning a full themed week, TADFF’s five-night run makes it easy to pair screenings with other nighttime events and still be functional the next morning. (Pro tip: schedule your most anticipated titles early; hot picks can sell fast.)
