In the fall, I inevitably turn to Gilmore Girls. (If you’ve been here long, you know I’m a fan). Despite the show’s regular progression of seasons (within and across seven seasons of television), there’s something about it that screams autumn. The most iconic images of Stars Hollow happen in the fall, I think. I have to admit, I don’t mind when September breezes in. Instead of blowing humid, tepid air like breath in your face, the wind brings fresh, cool relief. A little chilly perhaps, but think of the sweaters! Pair them with blazers and fall coats for that layered look. Cool weather means fashion liberation in my mind. (When did this become a fashion post?) This time of year is also when discussion turns to TIFF. I was a little late to the party this time around, but I was able to attend a screening of James McAvoy’s directorial debut: California Schemin’. If, like me, you are awed by the title, wait till you hear this: It’s the true story of two young, Scottish fellows, itching to make it in the big time. They hatch a scheme (see what they did there?) to fool London music industry execs into thinking they’re American rappers. The first half of this film was excellent, in my mind, with the fledgling director already demonstrating massive amounts of talent at the helm of this artistic-enterprise-ship. Capitalizing on the excitement and buzz of being young and achieving some success as a rap act — particularly in the early 2000s — Schemin’ climbs an incredible peak until the inevitable fall. I would definitely recommend seeing this one when it’s in theatres, but be prepared for a heavy second act. 2025 seemed to be the year of directorial debuts at TIFF, with not only McAvoy but Maude Apatow, Scarlett Johansson, and more. There was also a new Knives Out movie, a new Soderbergh caper with an incredible cast, and a new Joachim Trier (Worst Person in the World) flick. So, I thought I would explore what items we have in our catalogue with ties to the great, esteemed, homegrown, international film festival this year.

I thought I would begin with McAvoy. There are countless films and TV shows I could choose that connect to the renowned actor, but I wanted to pick a somewhat under-the-radar picture from 2017 in our catalogue. It’s called Atomic Blonde. Although McAvoy puts in a solid performance as a rogue MI6 agent, Charlize Theron is not only the star of the show but all the moons and planets too. She plays Lorraine Broughton, MI6 spy extraordinaire, brought into a hornets’ nest of agents after it’s revealed that the agency has a double agent who has a list of all the active spies in Cold War Berlin. It’s not a unique story. This feels intentional, however, because it’s not the plot or the ‘what’ of the film that interests me, it’s the ‘how.’ With a co-creator of the John Wick series as the director — David Leitch — it’s no wonder the visuals are stunning, pulsing with otherworldly neon. Cigarette smoke and water vapour hangs in the cold light of a stark Berlin in winter, divided by the wall. Theron quietly does something few other women have been given the time, funding, and opportunity to do — kick butt in a way that feels real and true to the strengths of the character. The fact that David Leitch is also a stunt performer (acting as Brad Pitt’s stunt double several times in the past) makes his work as a director feel different. A director carries the entirety of the film’s world in their head. They can close their eyes and envision any part of any scene — even beyond what’s scripted. As a stunt double and stunt coordinator, the intricacies of fight choreography seem to be foregrounded, almost put above other aspects like dialogue. It’s the way the characters fight and move across the screen that contributes the most to their character development. Some might see that as a weakness, but here I think the aesthetic is what makes the movie. The film has enough to say visually that we don’t miss other forms of communication. It makes sense, therefore, that Atomic Blonde is a graphic novel. Antony Johnston is the author with comics artist Sam Hart illustrating. These two created a strong art style that influenced the film in a big way. I say all this, and I haven’t even talked about the music! It’s a bold, eighties soundtrack with the modern touch of this Blue Monday remix by HEALTH that would be perfect to workout to. One of my favourites, for sure. I mean, who doesn’t love “Voices Carry” by ‘Til Tuesday. According to online murmurings, Atomic Blonde 2 is hovering in development purgatory, but I hope to see another episode in Lorraine Broughton’s life.

One of the most prolific and accomplished directors of all time is Stephen Soderbergh. Not only is he prolific, but the stuff he keeps churning out is pretty decent. Interesting, complex capers for the most part, with some other things thrown in (What genre is Magic Mike, I wonder?). I’m sure you’ve heard of the acclaimed and beloved Ocean’s Trilogy. It is Soderbergh’s cinematic aesthetic that lends those films their sleek, well-dressed, slightly heightened look, where colours are saturated or desaturated, light is filtered or accentuated in stylized ways, all to give the finished product a highly intentional, painstakingly curated appearance the virtuoso director has imagined in his mind. All to serve the story. I’ve always been struck by the colours in his work. I made the mistake of thinking I’d seen a kind of sepia-esque filter in most of his movies, but it’s so much more than that. He does use filters, like the “double straw camera filter” he used to shoot the bulk of Magic Mike (except the scenes where Matthew McConaughey’s performers dance in vivid colour). He also uses colour grading to digitally change the colour of anything he wants in a shot. Enhancing and saturating colours until they are larger than life to suit the narrative. I learned about colour grading from Side by Side, a documentary I wrote about here. Fascinating stuff. The most amazing thing about Soderbergh, to me, is that he’s a one-man band in a lot of ways. He often is the director of cinematography, as well as the director, using a pseudonym based on his father’s name, Peter Andrews. More than that, he does editing too, under the name Mary Ann Bernard (after his mother). Truly impressive. This year at TIFF, he had a new comedic caper called The Christophers. The cast of this one is exciting. Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel are the leads. I’m sure you’re familiar with the former, but if you’re not familiar with the latter, please watch one of her TV shows. She has been showrunner on some darkly fantastic series. The premise of The Christophers has McKellen as a washed-up artist, curmudgeonly artist who employs Coel as his assistant. Little does he know, there’s a plot afoot involving his estranged children. I wish I could have caught this one at TIFF, but alas, it wasn’t to be. I will be looking out for its arrival in cinemas. We have over thirty items in our catalogue that Soderbergh was involved in creating, but I would like to highlight a couple in particular. Black Bag is his spy thriller starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender from this year. It’s another covert espionage story where the plot doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but the way in which the plot unfolds is very entertaining. Unsurprisingly, the stylistic choices and superb acting are the most gripping aspects for me. That is not always the case with Soderbergh. His series for HBO with Clive Owen portraying an early-twentieth-century doctor at a New York hospital had an incredibly absorbing and insightful story. The Knick is not for the faint (or squeamish) of heart, but it is a realistic, complex portrayal of characters of different class and racial backgrounds at the turn of the century. Soderbergh and creators Jack Amiel and Michael Begler do such a good job of conveying the excitement of early advances in medicine, along with the sobering losses the doctors face as they experiment on patients. André Holland (Moonlight), Eve Hewson, and Juliet Rylance all give excellent performances that combine and contrast with Owen’s central, tragic, Dr. John W. Thackery. Highly recommend this one.

Well, I think that’s it this time. I hope you were able to see something at TIFF this year. Or, if not, that you’re keeping an eye on one or two films that will be hitting theatres near you in the coming months. There’s nothing like the sound and picture of a cinema to make movies come alive for the viewer. There’s always VPL, though, if you’ve held on to that trusty DVD player. I hope you’re having a good fall, and I’ll see you all again soon.