TORONTO AFTER DARK NEWS
Volunteer at the 2026 Toronto After Dark Film Festival!
Join the dark side <3
Join the dark side <3
Toronto After Dark is looking for a few more volunteers for our 2026 festival! If you love horror, sci-fi, cult, action and all things wonderfully weird, we want you on the team.
Oct. 14 - 18
Scotiabank Theatre, CineCycle & Escape Manor
3-6 hour shifts
Perks include screening vouchers, a collectable festival shirt, and behind-the-scenes access.
All experience levels welcome!
TORONTO AFTER DARK FILM FESTIVAL UNVEILS 2026 LINEUP FEATURING 14 FEATURE PREMIERES AND 33 GENRE SHORTS
The 19th edition runs October 14-18 at Cineplex Scotiabank Theatre and CineCycle, with single tickets on sale September 29
The 19th edition runs October 14-18 at Cineplex Scotiabank Theatre and CineCycle, with single tickets on sale September 29
Still from WHALEFALL (d. Brian Duffield)
TORONTO, September 25, 2026: The Toronto After Dark Film Festival (TADFF) has officially unveiled its lineup for its 19th edition of exciting new horror, sci-fi and action films, which will screen from October 14 - 18, 2026 at the Cineplex Scotiabank Theatre (259 Richmond St W) and CineCycle (129 Spadina Ave). Across these five thrilling nights, Toronto audiences will enjoy a fantastic showcase of 14 feature premieres, as well as 33 brilliant genre short films from Canada and around the world.
Single tickets go on sale on September 29, but festival passholders (both Cine-Maniac and All-Nighter tiers) can already begin reserving tickets during an exclusive window from September 25 to September 28.
The festival kicks off with the Canadian Premiere of Brian Duffield’s WHALEFALL, courtesy of 20th Century Studios. A tense and emotionally-charged survival thriller starring Austin Abrams (RESIDENT EVIL) and Josh Brolin (WEAPONS), the film depicts the harrowing story of a scuba-diver (Abrams) who finds himself swallowed whole by a sperm whale and trapped inside the animal’s stomach. With a dwindling supply of oxygen left in his tank, the young man turns to the nautical and life lessons his father passed on to him in a desperate bid to survive.
Still from SPECIES (d. Marion Le Corroller)
Two takes on the intersection of capitalism and body horror highlight the festival’s slate of International Programming: SPECIES (d. Marion Le Corroller, whose 2025 short MELTED DOLL screened at last year’s edition) is an energetic, blood-soaked parable set within the life-or-death world of modern medicine. Edwin’s SLEEP NO MORE follows two siblings travelling to Jakarta to investigate the grisly death of their mother while she was working at an old wig factory - only to discover that her “accident” was not an isolated incident.
Toronto After Dark’s Friday Vampire Night pairs the previously announced I LOVE PARIS with RED SNOW: Ilja Rautsi’s holiday ho-ho-horror about an angsty teen whose vampire fantasies are fractured when a horrifically violent undead creature dressed as Jolly Old St. Nick shows up at her family’s doorstep.
Still from MATAPANKI (d. Diego “Mapache” Fuentes)
Two films that are punk in both form and ethos, MATAPANKI (d. Diego “Mapache” Fuentes) follows a ground-level superhero whose powers are activated by alcohol; while HALLOWARRIOR finds young Pumpkin (Milly Shapiro from HEREDITARY) on a post-apocalyptic Halloween defending her home from cannibalistic intruders.
Representing the festival’s Canadian Programming, Sam Scott’s TURN IT UP! offers the story of a struggling indie band turning to a cursed melody for fame, unaware that the melody opens up a dangerous portal between dimensions; and NO LONGER HUMANS (directed by Toronto filmmaker Luca D’Andrea) is a queer coming-of-age love story about a world in which death no longer exists. Shot on 16mm film, D’Andrea’s daring debut feature will be making its North American Premiere in the festival’s Late Night Programme.
Still from MAN EATING PUSSY (d. Emily Lawson)
Canadian Filmmaking will be further represented across Toronto After Dark’s popular short film slate, which pairs a Canadian short with all feature films across the festival and includes dedicated sidebars for both Canadian and International selections. This year’s festival features 33 short films, including the buzzy MAN EATING PUSSY: an Audience Award Winner at Fantasia, directed by Emily Lawson and starring Grace Glowicki.
The lineup also features the Ontario Premieres of THE FOX (d. Dario Russo) and DRAG (d. Raviv Ullman and Greg Yagolnitzer). In THE FOX, a cunning fox (voiced by Olivia Colman) convinces an impressionable foxhunter (Jai Courtney) to turn his wife (Emily Browning) into the foxhunter’s idea of the perfect woman: a dark folktale built around the age old adage “be careful what you wish for”.
And in DRAG, two sisters (Lizzy Caplan and Lucy DeVito) break into the secluded home of a wealthy artist (John Stamos) for a simple little robbery. When one of the sisters quickly throws out her back, escape becomes an immovable obstacle for the feuding duo - made worse when the artist comes home early!
Still from NO LONGER HUMANS (d. Luca D’Andrea)
Previously announced films include: 5 MORE MINUTES, FROGMAN RETURNS, I LOVE PARIS and MY LOVE FOR YOU IS DEEP, BUT THE DEVIL LOVES ME DEEPER.
The 19th edition also marks an inaugural partnership between the festival and its new lead sponsor ScareScore. ScareScore is building the world’s first biometric reaction platform for entertainment. Connecting to the smartwatch audiences already wear, ScareScore measures physical reactions as they happen and transforms them into a personal score across movies, streaming, attractions, and adrenaline experiences that they can share, compare, and compete against friends with! Select Toronto After Dark films will be ScareScore enabled.
This year’s festival will also see the return of its official OPENING NIGHT PARTY, which will be held at the festival’s preferred bar Escape Manor (383 King St. W: just a few blocks away from the festival screening venues). Entry will be FREE for Toronto After Dark passholders.
And the festival’s late-night CineCycle Programming has been made possible this year thanks to the support of Branded to Film (B2F), Kingston's hyperlocal studio for high-concept genre filmmaking, which provides resources, crew and producer support for independent filmmakers shooting in the region.
2026 Toronto After Dark Lineup:
Feature Films
5 MORE MINUTES (5 MINUTOS MÁS) | Javier Ruiz Caldera | Spain
Canadian Premiere
DRAG | Raviv Ullman, Greg Yagolnitzer | USA
Ontario Premiere
THE FOX | Dario Russo | Australia
Ontario Premiere
FROGMAN RETURNS | Anthony Cousins | USA
Ontario Premiere
HALLOWARRIOR | Ben Sottak | USA
Canadian Premiere
I LOVE PARIS | Nicky Murphy | Australia, France
Toronto Premiere
RED SNOW (PUNAISTA LUNTA) | Ilja Rautsi | Finland
Canadian Premiere
SLEEP NO MORE (MONSTER PABRIK RAMBUT) | Edwin | Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, Germany, France
Ontario Premiere
SPECIES (SANGUINE) | Marion Le Corroller | France
Ontario Premiere
TURN IT UP! | Sam Scott | Canada
Ontario Premiere
WHALEFALL | Brian Duffield | USA
Canadian Premiere
Feature Films - Late Night Programme
MATAPANKI | Diego “Mapache” Fuentes | Chile
Toronto Premiere
MY LOVE FOR YOU IS DEEP BUT THE DEVIL LOVES ME DEEPER | Casey Donahue | USA
World Premiere
NO LONGER HUMANS | Luca D’Andrea | Canada
North American Premiere
Short Films
1-800-TIME-TRAVEL | Michael Nusair | Canada
A MIGHTY POISON | Kyle Marchen | Canada
ACCISMUS | Brandy Marien | Canada
BAD TOOTH | M. Dara Alavi | USA
BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS | Spencer Glassman | Canada
THE CURSE OF DANNY RIZZO | Ievy Stamatov | Canada
THE DESCENDANT | Ashley Welling | USA
THE DOGLEG (WIRAŹ) | Piotr Szubra | Poland
THE DOUBLE | Aljosha Klimov, Misha Sprits, Mitya Kokorin | Germany, Canada
FESTER | Max Parr | Canada
FREQUENCY | Lauren Andrews | Canada
GRIM VS GREYS | Austin Birtch | Canada
HABITUATION | Oskar Johansson | Sweden
ICE COLD BEER | Devon Mussett, Joey Lopez | Canada
IT HELPS | J. Zachary Thurman | USA
LOOP (最後一單) | Chuan Lin | Taiwan
MAN EATING PUSSY | Emily Lawson | Canada, USA
MEATMYLK | Lucy Luscombe | United Kingdom
MELT MUSIC | Evan Rivard | Canada
MOIRA | Anastasia Mischenko | France
MY DINNER WITH VICTOR | Andrew Chiu | Hong Kong, Canada
THE OLD GODS | Noah Van Buhren | Canada
PAPER CUTS | Ross Ozarka, Alice Gatland | New Zealand
PERENNIAL | Eric Kingsbury | Canada
PICK IT TILL IT BLEEDS | Christina Dovolis, Tavis Putnam | Canada
THE PORTRAIT | Julia Hogg | Canada
PURGE | Andrew Hamilton | Canada
RUN FROM IT | Kory Kongsommart, Jun Jeung | Canada
SHITTING A PENIS | Sam Morgan | Canada
SLEEP THROUGH SUMMER | Erin Mick | Canada
SOMETHING BORROWED | Findlay Ironside | Canada
STUCK (VAST) | Jan van Gorkum | Netherlands
THE THING INSIDE HER | Jacki Gunn and Della Haddock | Canada
-30-
Media Contact:
Angie Power
ROUTE 504 PR
TORONTO AFTER DARK FILM FESTIVAL UNVEILS FIRST WAVE OF 2026 TITLES AS FEATURE LINEUP EXPANDS
The 19th edition will feature 14 titles from Canada and around the world, including new late-night programming at CineCycle
The 19th edition will feature 14 titles from Canada and around the world, including new late-night programming at CineCycle
Still from I LOVE PARIS (d. Nicky Murphy)
TORONTO, September 9, 2026: Toronto After Dark Film Festival (TADFF) is thrilled to officially unveil the first four titles of its upcoming 19th edition. Running from Oct. 14-18 in downtown Toronto, this year’s festival will further see its core feature line-up grow from 10 premiere features to 14 exciting titles from across Canada and around the world!
Headlining the festival’s first full day of programming is the Canadian Premiere of 5 MORE MINUTES (d. Javier Ruiz Caldera). With the whole world thrust into an endlessly-repeating 5 minute loop, one bickering couple must navigate their way home while the consequences of their increasingly destructive decisions carry forth into each of the time loop’s next permutations. Caldera’s thrilling reinvention of the time-loop concept breathes new life into a beloved subgenre and is expected to be a fall season standout for genre fans.
Still from 5 MORE MINUTES (d. Javier Ruiz Caldera)
Representing one block in this year’s After Dark Vampire Night is Nicky Murphy’s Fantasia Film Festival Award-Winning hit I LOVE PARIS (Gold Audience Award for Best International Feature). Announcing himself as a confident new voice in the world of low budget horror, Murphy’s mockumentary follows a brash Parisian musician (Aminata Thiboult) on her soul-draining pursuit towards music supremacy.
TADFF’s Closing Night features the hotly anticipated FROGMAN RETURNS (d. Anthony Cousins). An After Dark Alumnus (2016’s WHEN SUSURRUS STIRS), Cousins returns to the festival with the sequel to his 2023 cult hit FROGMAN. Fans of the first film and Frogman neophytes alike will appreciate the film’s blast of practical effect gooeyness and creative cryptid lore in this new evolution for the already-beloved found footage franchise.
Still from FROGMAN RETURNS (d. Anthony Cousins)
And finally, the World Premiere of Casey Donahue’s feature debut MY LOVE FOR YOU IS DEEP BUT THE DEVIL LOVES ME DEEPER will kick off TADFF’s new Late Night Programme. Produced by Doughboys Media & Devil Business, this glitched-out, low-budget deal-with-the-devil phantasmagoria features a murderer’s row of special appearances from alt-comedy faves like James Urbaniak (The Venture Brothers), Mike Mitchell (The Napa Boys), Kyle Mooney (Brigsby Bear) and Beck Bennett (Greener Grass).
These four titles represent Toronto After Dark’s first wave of announcements for their exciting new expansion of festival programming. In addition to this year’s 11 feature film premieres and 2 short film programmes at Scotiabank Theatre, the festival will be holding 3 feature film screenings at the Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre (CFMDC)’s CineCycle (129 Spadina Avenue) as part of its new Late Night Programme; a selection that spotlights more esoteric and experimental genre film programming.
Still from MY LOVE FOR YOU IS DEEP BUT THE DEVIL LOVES ME DEEPER (d. Casey Donahue)
The 2026 edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival was programmed by Festival Legacy Director Peter Kuplowsky; Director of Programming Shannon Hanmer; Festival Manager/Programmer Adam Bovoletis; Programmers Kassy Gascho, Justin McConnell, and Bridget van Voorden; and Programmer at Large Carolyn Mauricette. Further programming support was provided by Jay Clarke, Dara Jade Moats and Ben Whyte.
More than 50% of this year’s passes have been sold during the festival early-bird pricing window. The remaining CINE-MANIAC passes are priced at $150.00 CAD, and the ALL-NIGHTER passes, which include the 3 late night screenings, plus exclusive festival merch, are $220.00 CAD. Single tickets will also be available for $16.99 and will go on sale on September 23rd, following the announcement of the full festival lineup and schedule.
-30-
Media Contact: Angie Power
ROUTE 504 PR
ABOUT TORONTO AFTER DARK FILM FESTIVAL
Founded in 2006 by the late Adam Lopez, Toronto After Dark Film Festival is one of the world’s leading showcases of new horror, thriller, sci-fi, action and cult cinema. Built from Lopez’s lifelong love of genre film and the passionate community he cultivated, the festival has become a beloved annual destination for film fans, filmmakers, press and industry, presenting new features and shorts from Canada and around the world. Toronto After Dark’s 19th edition takes place October 14–18, 2026 at Scotiabank Theatre in downtown Toronto.
2026 Passes ON SALE NOW!
Quantities are limited, so grab your pass while you can!
Get your Cine-Maniac and All-Nighter Cine-Maniac passes HERE
Only 200 Cine-Maniac Passes Available!
Only 50 All-Nighter Cine-Maniac Passes Available!
Grab your pass while you can!
TORONTO AFTER DARK FILM FESTIVAL LAUNCHES 2026 PASSES AND EXPANDS PROGRAMMING WITH NEW LATE-NIGHT CINECYCLE SERIES
New pass tiers, expanded late-night programming, and key team additions set the stage for Toronto’s beloved genre festival
New pass tiers, expanded late-night programming, and key team additions set the stage for Toronto’s beloved genre festival.
TORONTO, June 9, 2026: Toronto After Dark Film Festival (TADFF) is thrilled to announce the first details of its 19th edition, which will run from October 14th - 18th, 2026 and will feature an exciting expansion in venues and programming. The festival will once again return to the Cineplex Scotiabank Theatre (259 Richmond St. West) in downtown Toronto for its official selections, but will additionally hold screenings at the Canadian Filmmaker’s Distribution Centre (CFMDC)’s CineCycle (129 Spadina Avenue) as part of a new late-night programme that spotlights more esoteric and experimental genre film programming.
Genre fans will have the option of two passes: a CINE-MANIAC PASS (formerly the All-Access Pass), which offers access to tickets for all screenings at Cineplex Scotiabank Theatre, complimentary RUSH tickets, and entry to all public socials, including the return of an official Opening and Closing Night Party; and an ALL NIGHTER CINE-MANIAC PASS (new) which gets you all the previous perks PLUS access to tickets and priority RUSH to the late night programming at the Cinecycle. Also included in the ALL-NIGHTERS pass is a T-Shirt and Poster featuring the festival’s 2026 edition artwork illustrated by acclaimed Toronto artist Trevor Henderson (@trevorhenderson, @slimyswampghost). Quantities are limited, with only 200 Cine-Maniac Passes and 50 All-Nighter Passes available.
Passes go on sale on Thursday, June 11th, 2026, with the following pricing: CINE-MANIAC PASSES are $130 until September 1st, and $150 at full price; ALL-NIGHTER PASSES are $200 until Sept. 1st and $220 at full price. Single tickets will also be available for $16.99 and will go on sale in late September, following the announcement of the festival lineup and schedule.
Ahead of this year’s festival, TADFF has announced several key updates to its programming and festival teams. Veteran short film programmer Shannon Hanmer has been promoted as Director of Programming, while Adam Bovoletis joins as Festival Manager and Programmer. Kassy Gascho has also been added to the programming team. This year’s festival programming team includes Hanmer, Christian Burgess, Justin McConnell, Bridget van Voorden, Bovoletis, Gascho, and Festival Legacy Director Peter Kuplowsky.
“Toronto After Dark has always been built around a passionate community of genre fans, and this year’s festival is about honouring that spirit while creating new ways for audiences and filmmakers to connect,” said Peter Kuplowsky. “As we continue building on the festival our founder Adam Lopez created, the addition of late-night programming at CineCycle and a new team of programming voices gives us an exciting opportunity to expand what Toronto After Dark can be while staying true to what audiences have always loved about it.”
ABOUT TORONTO AFTER DARK FILM FESTIVAL
Founded in 2006 by the late Adam Lopez, Toronto After Dark Film Festival is one of the world’s leading showcases of new horror, thriller, sci-fi, action and cult cinema. Built from Lopez’s lifelong love of genre film and the passionate community he cultivated, the festival has become a beloved annual destination for film fans, filmmakers, press and industry, presenting new features and shorts from Canada and around the world. Toronto After Dark’s 19th edition takes place October 14–18, 2026 at Scotiabank Theatre in downtown Toronto.
Media Contacts:
Angie Power
ROUTE 504 PR
Christian Burgess
TORONTO AFTER DARK FILM FESTIVAL
SAVE THE DATE: June 11th… Passes on Sale!
Check back soon for more information!
Check back Jun. 11th for more info about Toronto After Dark’s 2026 Festival Passes!
If you have any questions about Toronto After Dark Film Festival in the meantime, feel free to Contact Us.
LEVITICUS at Inside Out
Toronto After Dark is proud to co-present LEVITICUS at the 2026 Inside Out Film Festival!
Toronto After Dark is proud to co-present LEVITICUS at the 2026 Inside Out Film Festival!
Leviticus (D: Adrian Chiarella | Australia | 88 min)
Canadian Premiere!
May 29, 9:15 PM - TIFF Lightbox Cinema 2
In a small, isolated Australian town, little ever seems to happen—until it does. Naim (Joe Bird) and Ryan (Stacy Clausen), seated with their families in church, communicate through stolen glances, guarding a secret that could cost them everything. When it’s exposed, their families intervene, determined to “save” them from a life they refuse to accept. But the ritual meant to cure them unleashes something far more dangerous. Now, hunted by a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most—in their case, each other—the boys must work together to break the curse or risk being torn apart forever.
BLACK ZOMBIE at HOT DOCS
Toronto After Dark is proud to co-present BLACK ZOMBIE at the 2026 Hot Docs Film Festival!
Toronto After Dark is proud to co-present BLACK ZOMBIE at the 2026 Hot Docs Festival!
Black Zombie (D: Maya Annik Bedward | Canada | 90 min)
From colonial Haiti’s haunted cane fields to the flickering screens of Hollywood horror, the living dead’s buried origins are unearthed and reclaimed as a symbol of survival and spiritual resistance.
Showtimes:
Fri, Apr 24, 9:15 PM - Hot Docs Cinema
Sat, Apr 25, 11:00 AM - TIFF 1
George A. Romero’s iconic Night of the Living Dead spearheaded an entire genre that has spawned hundreds of films and TV shows centred around flesh-eating monsters. Before their cinematic deviation, the origins of the reanimated dead can be traced back to 17th-century colonial Caribbean sugarcane fields and are connected to Vodou, a religion in which enslaved West Africans held the belief that death would free them to return to their homeland for their afterlife. If a landowner turned them into a zombie, however, their homeward passage would be interrupted and they would labour in plantations forevermore.
Director Maya Annik Bedward explores the damaging ongoing appropriation of the undead figure in popular culture to unpack the mythology and reclaim the zombie’s power as a symbol of survival and resilience. Extensive visual research and interviews with filmmakers, vodou practitioners and anthropologists juxtapose horror-film history with Haitian culture to create a pathway to understand the roots of the zombie in slavery and the spiritual significance of a lost body deprived of its soul. Alexander Rogalski
TORONTO AFTER DARK FILM FESTIVAL 2026 - SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN
Our 2026 Call for Submissions for the 19th edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival is NOW OPEN! Submit your feature and short films to us today via FilmFreeway.
Our 2026 Call for Submissions for the 19th edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival is NOW OPEN! Submit your feature and short films to us today via FilmFreeway.
April 7, 2026: Super Earlybird Deadline
May 5, 2026: Early Deadline
June 9, 2026: Regular Deadline
July 4, 2026: Late Deadline
July 21, 2026: Final Deadline
If you have any questions, please email: submissions@torontoafterdark.com
Our team looks forward to considering your films!